Scars
by AleinaReigning
Summary: Kiba and Hinata have been companions for ages and they've gone through a lot together. Their lives as ninja leave scars, and all they can do is accept it and move on. But what if one of them just can't seem to let their feelings go? KibaHina, please read!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, Aleina here! I haven't written a KibaHina story before, so please review! I don't know if this should be a one shot or a multi-chaptered story, so review and let me know! Oh, and I don't own these characters, just this story idea. Enjoy!**

The night was dark and warm, and the wind in the village was heavy and wet. Clouds blanketed the sky, swollen with the promise of rain, and the moisture clung to clothes and skin, and saturated the air in the people's lungs. It was humid and hot, difficult weather for the citizens of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. In the Hokage Tower, Tsunade was angrily wiping sweat from her forehead as she perused a plea for help from a neighboring village. Shikamaru Nara was rolling over in his bed and glaring at his wife, Temari, as she fanned herself smugly with a small fan. At the Fallen Soldier's Monument, a lone Kakashi stared down at the names of his dead comrades and remembered past nights like this.

But Kiba Inuzuka was up on his rooftop, waiting. He patted Akamaru and grimaced when the dog's hot breath hit his face. "Jeez, buddy, you stink. You're too hot, get off!" The dog panted some more but whined and scooted away from the nineteen year old ninja. He scanned the skies once more, and checked the rooftops, sniffed the moist breeze that came from the direction of the trees. His brow furrowed. "Come on, you should have been home by now," he muttered. He checked his watch and growled deep in his throat before standing up and stripping out of his heavy shirt. He scratched the skin underneath his headband, then pulled it off and instead tied it around the newest injury on his arm. He'd gotten the cut a few days ago, when he'd gone on a recon mission with Hinata. She'd been covering for him, intent on keeping them both safe, and had neglected to cover her own back- so he'd done it for her.

A scent carried on the wind, and Akamaru whined. Kiba sat straight up and grinned, searching wildly for who he was waiting for. There she was, straight ahead and moving fast. She seemed uninhabited by the slow moving air. Her midnight hair flew out behind her, and her body was swift and lithe, the only movement in the heavy night. His heart thumped just looking at her. Akamaru whined and nudged the ninja, then got up and turned around, probably going back to their room.

Kiba stood up and started to wave, but his eyes widened- her step was faltering. His jaw dropped as she started to fall, and he leaped after her, pushing chakra into the soles of his bare feet and clawing at the air to bring him to her faster. He watched as she fell sideways to the edge of the narrow roof, and he shot his arms out, leaping after her and wrapping his arms around her, desperately twisting to keep her from hitting the ground that was three stories below them. His hand scrambled for purchase on the side of the house, and suddenly there was a rod beneath his palm. He grabbed it and gritted his teeth as they swung wildly in the air, his feet crashing through a window and sending them flying into the room.

As soon as the glass settled around them, a searing pain shot over his chest, all the way up to his shoulder. He gasped and clamped a hand down on his skin, feeling a long bloody cut sliced clean through his skin and following it up until he found the piece of glass embedded in the wound. "Shit," he muttered, and heard a gasp behind him. Hinata sat up, her eyes wide and horrified. He hastily tried to cover the wound, his big, rough palm flat against his heart.

"Where are we? I remember I was on the rooftops, and then I think I just hit my limit… this mission was awful, Kiba-kun." He nodded, not focusing on her words but instead the lilting quality of her quiet voice. She looked around again, nodded silently at the Konoha emblem painted on the old wall.

"Kiba-kun? What happened?" He pasted a smile onto his face at seeing her unhurt, although she looked too damn confused to focus on her own well being. He winced and felt for the glass sliver again, wanting it out of his flesh. "No! Wait, Kiba, let me-" She activated her Byakugan and scanned his body, her face growing paler as she did so. He waited silently as she extracted the sharp object carefully, throwing it aside and looking to him once again.

"Well I was waiting for you to get back from your mission, and I saw you coming. You started to fall, so I tried to catch you and we sort of went through this window." He looked around at the empty room, recognizing it as an old warehouse where he'd gone to train when he was younger. But when he'd received Akamaru, the dog hadn't liked the musty old place, so he hadn't been in there in years. "I'm guessing that when we went through the window of this old warehouse, a piece of glass caught me. No big deal." He shrugged and hissed; the movement _hurt._ Hinata's hand s wavered over his skin, and he gently pushed them off. She really did worry too much. He grinned to himself when he thought of the expression on her face- she must not know how unbearably cute she looked when she was concerned.

"I- I'm s-sorry, Kiba," she stammered, and he was surprised to see tears on her face. He patted her on the shoulder and stood up, searching blindly for the light switch by the door. His fingers ran across scarred wood and cool glass, and then found the little plastic switch. The lights flickered on, a warm golden color that made his tan skin even more pronounced. He saw her look down at his body and blush, and chuckled to himself- being a ninja meant he'd trained his body until there was no softness left. He glanced down himself and felt sick, the blood from his latest wound was slowly dripping down his chest, and the lighting made it look black. She gasped once more, and went to join him. She shrugged her jacket off (_How could she even wear that thing in this heat? _Kiba thought) and dragged a kunai from its sheath on her thigh. With one swipe she cut the bottom lining off and got a little bottle out of her ninja pack. He watched in fascination as she dipped her finger in the bottle and spread the paste over the fabric. It smoked slightly, and without warning, she pressed it along his newest wound.

"Ow!" he howled, and leapt back a little, wincing. "What is that stuff?" she blushed and looked down, mumbling something too quiet for him to hear. The sting faded minimally, and he flushed in shame when she turned away from him, her eyes downcast. Kiba knew she was trying to help, and when he inspected the wound, he saw that it wasn't bleeding anymore. He stepped forward and gritted his teeth, giving her the go-ahead to continue. She apologized constantly as she applied more pressure to the laceration, as the sharp pain dulled and started to throb. When her shaking hands moved away, he looked down and saw a dark scab where the cut had been. "Hey, thanks, Hinata!" No answer. He glanced up and saw her standing turned around, staring at her hands. Her shoulders started to tremble, and he touched her softly, worriedly.

"What's wrong?" he asked her quietly, and she spun around, tears flying from her eyes. She held up her hands for him to see, and for a second he panicked at the slippery red liquid covering her palms. The air grew even warmer, and sweat stood out on the back of his neck.

But then she whispered, "It's all my fault." And he understood. It was _his_ blood, on her hands, not her own. Another realization followed quickly on its heels- she blamed herself. "For the entire time we've been on the same squad, you've always been protecting me." He opened his mouth to protest, but she kept talking, her voice broken by tears. "All these years… you've been getting hurt because of me! It's my fault, and I- I don't think you can do it anymore." She shut her eyes tight and curled her hands into fists. "You don't have to do this anymore. You don't have to hurt yourself for me."

Kiba stood, completely shocked at her outburst. She thought he felt _entitled_ to protect her? It didn't make sense to him. The only reason he threw himself in front of her to keep her safe- the only reason he'd suffered through the broken bones, the weeks in the hospital, was to make sure that no one ever touched her. And now she was asking him not to, because she though he didn't want to. Anger rushed through his system, coiling in his stomach and turning immediately into determination. He roughly grabbed her chin and pulled her head up, out of her hands, until she was looking him deep in the eyes. He noticed how soft her skin was, and the dewy blush that rose in her cheeks when he touched her. It tore at his heart to know that she didn't think she was worthy of his protection. Then, he raised his other arm, and her confused eyes scanned his muscular skin and focused on a long, silvery scar.

"Two years ago, we were in the Hidden Mist Village. You were knocked unconscious, and I grabbed you right before the senbon needle slit your throat." She didn't say anything, but her soft fingers caressed the old wound, sending shivers down his spine. His large fingers grasped her hand and moved it to his shoulder. She felt a little groove there, right between his collarbone and his shoulder. "Right here- the year we started training together, the Uchiha bastard and Naruto went at it, and you tried to keep the blondie from getting hurt. Sasuke had already started his attack and it was too late to check it. I covered you with my own body, and his kunai slammed into my shoulder, when it probably would have gone straight through your arm."

"Kiba-kun, I'm sorry-"

"Wait." His voice lashed out, and she fell silent. He stood up straighter, and let her hand travel down his bare chest, across the newest cut and down his stomach. He bit his lip when she explored the half-healed cut, noting that she had the soft hands of a Gentle Fist style user instead of the usual battle worn hands of a kunoichi. She shivered lightly at the hard muscle tone beneath his skin, at the light, downy furring of his chest and stomach which only grew darker right below his navel. A long, puckered scar slashed across his side, right above his hipbone. "This is from the mission to Orochimaru's hideout- the one where our team leader and comrade were killed, and just you and me were left. You were in a paralysis jutsu, and couldn't go in with me. I was captured." He could still remember the terror of not being killed immediately, he'd been pushed deeper and deeper into the snake's nest until he was well and truly lost- he'd left Akamaru to protect Hinata. He took a deep breath, loving that her hand was still and warm on his skin, her thumb running over the ridge of the scar. "They tortured me for information about you- they knew you were there somewhere and rumor has it they wanted your Byakugan. I thought I was going to die, Hinata." His voice broke, and he looked up, seeing fear and horror reflected in her eyes.

"But I didn't give them information. Nothing I said was incriminating. They beat me worse than I've ever been beaten- you remember the state I was in when you guys got me out of there. There was this genjutsu they had me in… I thought you were already dead, I thought I'd told them everything, and it was my fault that Konoha was in ruins. When nothing else worked, they sliced me across my stomach and left me to die."

She shuddered violently at the harshness in his voice, and he felt a twinge of fear at the memory- he'd broken twenty seven bones in all, four of which were completely shattered. He'd had internal bleeding, multiple gashes, and was more dead than alive when they found him. Hinata had woken up shortly after he'd unknowingly killed the caster of the jutsu which had incapacitated her. She'd gotten help, and just in time- he wouldn't have lasted much longer.

"Kiba," she said quietly, "I'm sorry I made you do that." All the fight went out of his body; and the young man groaned and leaned his head on her shoulder, making her gasp. He felt her hands come up and trace his shoulders, and heard her breath come out in one unsteady sigh. She smelled like a mixture of lavender and skin, something he couldn't give a name to, but that he'd recognize in an instant. When he spoke next, his voice was soft, pleading.

"Hinata, when will you understand? I never did this if I didn't want to. I did this because you mean so much to me that it would kill me if you got hurt. I protect you because-" He hesitated, and pulled away slightly, looking her in the eye and swallowing down his anxiety. She nodded slightly, her mother of pearl eyes searching, waiting, and hoping.

"I protect you because I love you."

**So- one shot or more? Hope you enjoyed reading this, please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey people! A couple reviewers wanted me to continue this, so here's the second chapter! Hope you enjoy, remember to review! **

Hinata's entire body tensed as she stared unbelievingly into Kiba's face. He stared back at her, his eyes burning like he had a fever- but some instinct told her that he felt just fine. The heat caught in her throat, and suddenly his bare skin below her fingertips was scorching to the touch. She pulled her hands back and took a deep, shuddering breath. She could feel her face heating up, and slid her pale hands over the blush. She heard her friend and comrade chuckle.

"I made you blush. Sorry about that, I guess I shouldn't have expected anything different." Kiba stood up from his crouched position and ran a hand through his thick, shaggy brown hair. He looked to the side, and she watched as he turned around, exposing his muscular back and the silvery scars that ran across it. He'd seemed so intense earlier, trying to make her realize what he felt, but she'd ignored that. _Stupid girl,_ she chided herself. _Say something!_ But her mind was blank, in shock, she reasoned.

Kiba had been her friend for years. He'd supported her on so many occasions, and protected her with his life. But he knew how she felt about Naruto- he feigned ignorance, but she could tell he'd known for forever. It was a shock to think that she'd been just like the boy she cared so much about- completely ignorant about how those closest to her felt about her.

"Kiba-kun, I… well, I don't know what to say. I love you too, but in a different way. You're my friend." She cursed herself mentally for sounding so uncertain, but it couldn't be helped; she hated disappointing people. Another thought struck her with all the force of a stampeding animal, and she stood up, grabbing Kiba's arm and willing him to turn around and look at her. "Wait, this doesn't mean we can't be friends, does it? Kiba, I'm so sorry, I don't know what to do." His skin blazed under her hand, and she was abruptly extremely aware of the fact that she was wearing only the mesh under shirt she put on under her jacket, and that Kiba was very close, very warm and very half-naked. Her hands retreated, but her mind reeled- she'd touched his bare skin multiple times before, she's seen him far more undressed than this on missions or in the hospital wing- why was it just now bothering her?

"You know, Hinata, I knew that you'd apologize." His words surprised her, she glanced up and saw kindness in his eyes as he stared down at her- Kami, when had he gotten so _tall_? - And smiled softly. "I knew that you'd freak out just a little bit, that your mind would automatically wonder what would happen next." His kindness suddenly morphed into something harder, but his eyes flickered like a candle and became nervous. He gave a short bark of laughter. "I'm sorry for pushing that on you Hinata, but the fact is, I do love you, and I think you should always be able to know that you're never alone- that you have a home with me, if no one else. I'm not expecting anything from you," he continued, but his eyes took on a mischievous glint, "but I think you should know that I'm not giving up." His arms wrapped around her like steel, and she emitted a little squeak as he pulled her close against his chest and hugged her, hard. His fingers rubbed soothing circles between her shoulder blades, but she could tell by the way his muscles clenched and twitched that he was deeply upset. She pushed at him gently, enough to make him immediately fall back and wait for her to begin speaking.

"You know I love Naruto." She stated this quietly, hoping to do as little damage as possible. When he didn't reply, her eyes filled with bitter tears and she whimpered in the back of her throat- it _hurt,_ being the one who ripped him apart like this. His pain filled the silence. "Kiba, being with Naruto is my destiny- when he realizes that, we'll be together. But I still… I still want you in my life," she muttered plaintively. "I want to stay with you, be your friend- I want to be at your wedding when you find another girl and get married to her. I don't know if you would even bear to look at me after this, but-"

"Hinata. Stop talking," he ordered, and she took a deep breath through her tight throat, sighing wearily as a tear escaped her grasp and slid down her cheek. Kiba wiped it away before it was even half way down her skin, and she closed her eyes tightly, feeling the rough pad of his finger skim over her face as he rid her of her tears. "I'm not an idiot, I know you love Naruto. But I also know that as long as you're content with waiting in the wings for a guy who's never going to feel that way about you, I'll be waiting for you in turn, to help you when you need it, and to see what he won't. But I don't want to lose you just because we have different feelings for one another. We'll stay the same as we've always been- I'll do stupid crap to keep you from getting hurt, and you'll patch me up later and worry the entire time you're doing it." That made her giggle; it was true. She couldn't remember the last time she stayed in the hospital overnight with some obscure injury, but she could remember just a month ago forcing Kiba into the emergency room with a severe head wound instead of letting him stay with a wounded Akamaru. He was always pushing himself past the pain to protect everyone, to make sure that they all came home safe. And even around the village he was protective; warning her away from Sasuke as he descended into madness, keeping her grounded when girls like Ino and Sakura went completely boy-crazy, helping her move out of the Hyuuga mansion when her life there got too hard. All he'd ever done for her was to try and make her happy.

She hadn't realized that she'd said her last thoughts out loud until Kiba looked at her speculatively. "Oh. I was just thinking of… of all those times you have helped me, Kiba-kun. I just am glad to have you as a friend." She smiled up at him and put her hand on his chest, above his heart. It sped up under her touch, and she bit her lip at his understanding nod- she really should be punished for making him feel so bad.

He stepped back first, rubbed the nape of his neck wistfully. "I'd better be going home, Hinata. Do you want me to walk you home?"

"No," she answered, "It's not far and I'll be fine. I might stop by Kurenai-sensei's house to check on her- it's coming up on Asuma-san's birthday, she's bound to be lonely now that he's- well, dead." He nodded and went to the window, stepping up on the window sill with athletic grace and finding the same rod he'd swung in on. He pulled himself up and disappeared from her view, and she let out a deep breath. Her whole entire body seemed made of lead. The blood of Kiba's wounds and the memories of the day were too much to deal with. She rolled her shoulders back and got a running start before leaping gracefully out of the window and somersaulting in mid-air to land on her feet in the middle of the alley. She stumbled a bit when she stood up, her head whirling from exhaustion. But nothing would get better if she just stood there, she reasoned, so she began to walk home. The city was hot tonight, and the air moved slowly around her- it had been cooler in the old warehouse, but outside the heat was annoying. She went to unzip her jacket, not remembering that it was still shredded up on the floor in the room they'd been in, and huffed out an angry breath when her fingertips met the thin mesh of her shirt. Her hitai-ate was moist against the back of her neck, and in the time it took her to get home, the warm night air had sapped the energy out of her. She walked slowly up the dimly lit stairs and retrieved the key to her apartment, opening the door and shutting it silently before passing out leaning right up against it. The last thing she thought of was Kiba's newest wound. _It will become a scar someday- a permanent reminder of this night. Please let him not regret being my friend._

A loud pounding woke her up, and she scrambled to her feet, trying to compose herself as she looked around. The events of the night before slowly leeched back into her memory, and she swept her hair out of her eyes and groaned from the discomfort of sleeping propped up against her front door. She swung the barrier open and was surprised to see Shizune leaning wearily against the wall, huffing slightly. Her eyes widened. "Um…" The older woman looked up and jumped upright, blushing slightly.

"Sorry. Tsunade's making me run all over and find specific ninja- she wants you to report to her office in an hour. There's a long term mission she's assigning, one that could prevent a war in the Land of Grass. It's some special case though- she won't give it to someone who isn't willing. I don't know why." Hinata nodded and murmured her assent, then closed the door and headed to the bathroom in her small apartment, stripping off her clothes tentatively as she went. Her headband hit the floor as she untied the ribbon and stepped into the shower, and she almost groaned when the hot water hit her aching body. She washed herself quickly, thinking about the summons the entire time- it must be extremely dangerous, this mission. Why else would the Hokage be taking volunteers? But if it was so dangerous, why weren't the ANBU taking care of it? The kunoichi shrugged and turned the water off, then grabbed a towel to wrap around her strong body as she walked into the kitchen for breakfast. There was nothing in her refrigerator, and her shelves were devoid of anything nutritional- she'd been gone for almost four days, and hadn't bothered to go shopping before she left. Hinata sighed and turned around, letting out a shriek when she noticed Shino sitting at her kitchen table. He watched her panic, seemingly unaffected by the stricken look on her face.

"Shino! What are you- I'm… I'm improper!" she gasped, and clutched frantically at the towel. Shino nodded silently and turned his head, looking out the window from behind those familiar mirrored glasses.

"I'll wait. Go get dressed; I believe Kiba and Akamaru are also on their way." Hinata stopped for a moment, then blushed deep red and stalked into her room, mortified by being seen without her usual layers on. She discarded the towel and pulled her bindings from the drawer by her bed, wrapping them quickly around her body and pulling on her knee length shorts and slipping a tank top over her well toned body. She frowned at the loss of her jacket, and grabbed a lighter one from her closet, slipping it over her thin bare arms as she walked out to meet Shino once more. It wasn't long before she heard a knock on her door, and Kiba strode in, grinning and loud as always. Akamaru squeezed through the door frame as his master went straight to Hinata and hugged her softly.

"Morning, Hinata. Hey, Shino!" She raised her eyebrows at him, but he just smiled back, making her feel even guiltier than she already was- why wouldn't he hug her, as he always did? They were friends. It was alright. Shino nodded his greeting as Kiba checked the cupboards, wrinkling his nose a bit. "Wow, where's all your food?"

"I haven't had time to go shopping yet, I was going to do it last night but-" She halted, not quite sure how to finish the sentence. Kiba grinned again and patted her shoulder.

"Okay then. Shino, do you want to go grab some breakfast?" The young man nodded and she started to panic- surely he wouldn't see it as a date, not with Shino and Akamaru coming along?

"Oh, I think I'll just eat on my way to the Hokage's office, now really…" Kiba shushed her and motioned the dog and their other comrade out the door, telling them that he needed a moment. Then he turned and looked at her, and she felt her face heating up. The seventeen year old girl turned around and picked up her headband, once more tying it around her neck as she'd forgotten to do when she'd gotten dressed. Anything to keep her from looking at him was a blessing.

"You know, we went out to team dinners before," he murmured unexpectedly, and she lost her grip on the ribbon. He snatched it as it began to fall from around her neck and stepped closer to tie it properly, and as he did so she could feel his hot breath on the nape of her neck. "This is no different. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do, but I am going to try and help you see how much I care about you. Just tell me if you ever need me to back off." He stepped back, admiring his handiwork for a second, and she held her breath when she felt his eyes on her.

"Let's go?" he asked her, and she turned around, nodding, before following him out of the apartment and locking the door behind her. She watched him speculatively as he ran to catch up with the others, and found herself wondering what it would be like to have more of those close, one on one moments with him. She rolled her eyes at the thought and giggled quietly to herself. It sounded false to her ears. But then again, she mused, there was hardly anything funny about not knowing how to feel when your best friend falls in love with you.

**Thanks for reading :) Please leave a comment or two, or any questions you have.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Mkay, everybody, here's chapter three! Hope you enjoy it!**

Breakfast went quickly at the small shop down the road from her apartment. They'd gone there many times with Kurenai after missions when they were younger, and it was an inexpensive place that sold large meals. The owners even let Akamaru come in and lay beneath the table, although that was harder now that he was as big as Hinata. They ordered and ate fast, Hinata sitting guiltily next to Shino, even though Kiba didn't seem to notice or care that she was avoiding him.

It was strange. She would have expected him to act differently around her, or somehow change how he looked at her. But he was still the same old Kiba she'd always known. Maybe he regretted the night before, or maybe he was trying to put her at ease. She realized that she'd been staring at him and blushed when his eyes jumped to hers and he smiled boyishly. Her eyes returned to the table cloth, and she heard him chuckle before continuing his quiet conversation with Shino. Akamaru sniffed at her under the table, nudging her leg and making a sound deep in the back of his throat. She gasped and moved away from the dog's head, putting her close enough to Shino to make things awkward. She once more glanced at Kiba, and didn't entirely believe his innocent expression. She was the first to get up and pay for her meal, and her boys soon followed. She could have sworn that Kiba shared a triumphant look with his dog, but she couldn't be completely sure.

They entered the Hokage Tower just in time to see Ino and Sakura leaving Tsunade's office. The two attractive girls were talking quickly in low voices, and Sakura was giggling and blushing, looking for all the world like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't have. Ino's eyes widened as the pair walked up to the trio and the wolf hound.

"Did you guys get called for the mission too?" she asked, and when Hinata nodded shyly, she leaned back and popped her hip out. "Well, neither Sakura nor I were good enough for it apparently, so maybe you will. She'll want to see you first, and then they boys can come in." Hinata cocked her head to the side.

"Why does she want just me first?" Ino smirked as Sakura blushed behind her then came up and patted the shorter girl on her shoulder. The pink haired kunoichi was beautiful- _no wonder Naruto likes her,_ Hinata thought sadly, and lowered her head. She felt a little squeeze on her shoulder, and looked straight into the woman's light green eyes. She seemed to understand, and her grin was comforting.

"She'll have some questions for you." Hinata smiled at her in return and watched as she left the tower with Ino. She was so strong and nice- Hinata's heart sank, and she bit her lip. _There's no way he'll choose you over her,_ some spiteful little voice in her head said. She answered back grudgingly, _I know._

"Hinata." Kiba's whisper shocked her, and she looked up at him as he leaned in until his mouth was right by her ear. "Don't worry about her. Even if he doesn't choose you, you'll always be good enough for me." She gasped, stunned into silence.

"How- how did y-you… I was thinking that…."

He chuckled. "I've known you for a long time, Hinata-chan. I can tell when you're bashing yourself." She nodded mutely, then turned on her heel and knocked timidly on the large wooden door of the Hokage's office. She got leave to enter, and opened the door, taking a deep breath before closing herself in with the strongest woman in her village. Tsunade was writing something on her papers, she merely motioned for Hinata to come forward, then continued with her filing. The young kunoichi stood tall and proud, but inside her mind she was panicking slightly. _What sort of questions is she going to ask me? Is there going to be a test?_ She jumped when Tsunade called her name, then bowed quickly.

"Hinata Hyuuga. I've called you here about a mission that I need someone for, but I'm not entirely sure who will be able to do it. How much did Shizune tell you when she came to get you?"

"Not much, Tsunade-sama, only that you were taking volunteers for an important mission that could stop a war in the Land of Grass. She said it was very dangerous." Tsunade nodded, putting her pen down and picking up a small clay bottle.

"Yes, that is true. But before we discuss that, I need to ask you a personal question. Are you a virgin?" Hinata's jaw dropped, and she gasped, blushing fervently at the invasive question. The older woman smiled wryly. "Yes, I know it is a very odd question, but I need the answer. You must not be shy around me, Hinata- I'm a medical nin, as well as the Hokage. You can trust me. This is why your friends didn't come in with you. Now, are you?" Hinata nodded blindly, feeling faint. "Hmm. That's just as I thought. And are you in a relationship with anyone?" She hesitated, and then shook her head. "Good. Do you have any reservations about being with older men?"

"What?" Tsunade just looked at her, and she blushed before shaking her head once more. "No, I suppose not. Hokage-sama, why are you-?" The woman cut her off, asking her to bring her teammates in. Hinata opened the door and motioned frantically for Kiba and Shino to enter, and just then Shizune walked up with other ninja. There was Ten Ten and Neji, Naruto and Rock Lee, and a couple older ninja who leaned casually against the door frames as they all filed in.

Shizune handed a stack of files to her boss, bowing slightly. "Here are all the males you asked for, and Ten Ten fits the requirement s for the woman's role." Ten Ten blushed, then caught Hinata's eye and went to stand by her. Tsunade nodded, then stood up, slapping a hand down on her desk to command attention.

"Listen up! The Hidden Leaf has gotten wind of a very sinister plot, and it is up to us to put an end to it. The Land of Grass has notified us of collaboration between a very influential man and Orochimaru, our village's greatest enemy. This mission is dangerous, but only a very select few can do it. We need tracker ninja, and one of them has to be a woman. At most this team will be a three man squad. Those who take on this mission will have to be okay with spending months in an undercover situation, and they need to be adept at gathering information, keeping their cover, and pretending to be civilians. If you cannot do this, say so now. It will not be considered giving up, it will be forfeiting for the good of the village. Please leave now."

Hinata glanced around as Rock Lee and Ten Ten exited the room, and were closely followed by many of the older men. The door closed behind them, and only herself, her teammates, Naruto and Neji remained. Then she looked back at Tsunade, a sense of foreboding coiling in her stomach. She nodded, then turned back to the remaining ninja. "Now then, I'll choose who goes, and who stays behind as reinforcements. Hinata, you'll be going no matter what, so stay here. Naruto and Neji, you are both in Orochimaru's Bingo Book, and this mission calls for inconspicuous ninja. You are free to leave."

Neji nodded, bowed and turned, but Naruto glared at the Hokage. "Aw, come on, Granny Tsunade, you gotta let me go on this one, I've been cooped up in this village for forever! I'll be inconspin- incos- uh, whatever that word is- I'll do whatever you say!" He groaned and whined, and Hinata blushed. _Oh, what if I really did get to go on a mission with Naruto? What's more, I'd be gone for months with him, just the two of us!_ The thought had her head spinning madly, and she took a deep breath.

"Naruto," Tsunade screeched, "be quiet this instant!" For once, the young man actually did so, stepping back and squinting at the leader. "If you go on this mission, you risk Hinata's life, as well as the future of this entire village and possibly the Land of Grass. I will not allow you to put everything in danger. Leave now, or you won't go on another mission for a month!"

"Come on, Granny!" he wailed, but after a few more minutes, he stomped out of the office, leaving silence in his wake. She looked at Kiba, who was staring at her with a bemused expression on his face.

"Him? Really, Hinata?" She gasped and narrowed her eyes, feeling uncharacteristically angry. No one had the right to insult Naruto, not after all he'd done for her! But Kiba just chuckled and tugged a piece of her hair affectionately, turning back to the Hokage. "So, is it us three then?"

"I'm afraid not." Tsunade was looking straight at Shino, who stood impassively by the window. "Shino Aburame, your bugs crawl from behind your eyes and through your skin, right? I hear it's an involuntary process, and that it happens without your direct command." He nodded once, and she closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Then you can't go undercover- you may go." Hinata watched as her teammate bowed and jumped out the window, the easier way down for agile ninja. Kiba laughed behind her, and her eyes widened in shock- was it really just the two of them left?

"Why can't ANBU take care of this mission?" she asked respectfully, and Tsunade glanced up with a smile.

"Not many of the ANBU agents are still… well, like you. And those who are also happen to be in Orochimaru's Bingo Book, and he must not know that we are interfering in his affairs. It might spark a reaction, which could very well devastate Konoha and the surrounding areas." Hinata felt Kiba's eyes on her, and blushed. So, she was one of the only virgins left in the village at their age. What a lovely thing to be known for. "Now, your mission is to gather information about Lao Suji. He is a very rich man who is famous for funding scientific projects and making money off of them. The only reason he hasn't been imprisoned yet is that the daimyo of the Land of Grass happens to be his close and personal friend. The ninja of the Grass Land cannot go against their daimyo, because it might spark a civil war. They've enlisted us to help, and given us a plan of action. We've researched it enough to know that this plan is not a trap. Lao is not married, and often visits a geisha house in the town closest to his estate. His last companion went missing three months ago.

"Hinata, you will pose as the newest geisha, and seduce him into choosing you as his companion. Kiba, you will find a job within the town and keep watch over her. When she and Lao go out or travel, you will gather information about him from his house and servants. Hinata, he'll often take you on business trips with him. These will be an opportunity to learn about his fascination with Orochimaru's scientific experimentations.

"If you succeed in this, it will put a stop to that snake's sick experiments, and it will restore peace to the Land of Grass. Any questions?" Hinata stared at her, willing herself to move, to say anything. But something inside her had locked up, and she found herself completely unable of speaking for herself.

In her clan, it was considered the most foolish of missions. If her father knew that she'd be a mistress, even if only for a research job, he'd be disgusted. She was already enough of a failure in his eyes; how much further could she sink? _You're not worth anything now._

"Hinata, Kiba? Do you have any questions about your mission?" Tsunade asked again, expectantly. There was a tense beat of silence as she waited for her answer.

**Cliff-hanger! Haha. Well, the fourth chapter is already done, and I'm really liking this story so far. Let me know how you feel about it! If you review for me, I'll review for you! And I'll dedicate something to you if you give the best or most in-depth review! Yes, I am bribing you shamelessly. But that's okay with me. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello there, readers! I've gotten very positive reviews on this so far, so thanks to all who did! I'm posting pretty quickly on this one, and I've already got the next chapter all worked out (in my head, at least). Enjoy chapter four!**

Hinata was speechless. She was being offered up as a… a whore. A common prostitute instead of an honored ninja. And Kiba would be around to bear witness to that disgrace. She put her face in her hands and took a deep breath, willing herself to overcome the mortification. She felt a hot hand on the small of her back, and fingers closed around her upper arm.

"No, Hokage-sama." Kiba's voice rang out strongly, and she felt a wave of sudden gratitude. Tsunade told them to leave within the day, and that Shizune would give them some maps and more details to review. Kiba's hand pressed gently, and she bowed, like a puppet under his will. Then he steered her out of the room, just as tears began to fall from her eyes. "Hinata, look at me please." She raised her head and looked deep into his dark, dark brown eyes. "This mission doesn't change anything. I'll be there to help you, and we both just need to remember who we are."

"This is just so… so embarrassing. I don't know how to- well, I've never seduced anyone." Kurenai had taken her to a spa for a week and explained to her what these types of missions entailed. She would have to become a sexy, confident woman, one who attracted men. Kurenai was exotically beautiful with her dark red eyes and pale skin, but Hinata was just herself, a young woman who didn't know how to be those things. "I'll have to review with her. Meet back here about an hour before dawn? We should get to the forest's limits by nightfall, and we have a lot of things to do before then." Kiba nodded, grasped her in another bone crushing hug, and then loped off, whistling for Akamaru. She furrowed her brow- she'd been expecting a kiss, or a deep, meaningful look at the very least. But why was she upset over the fact that he'd treated her just like always? Maybe because she was waiting for the other shoe to drop… yes, that was it.

It was seven hours before she saw him again, waiting patiently at the village gates. She'd gotten the files and some spending money from Tsunade, in case Kiba wouldn't be able to find a job right away. They took a second to say goodbye to their home and to Akamaru, then set out, walking quickly along the main road until the pathway dwindled off into the foliage. They took to the trees, leaping effortlessly from branch to branch.

"So, Hinata, how are you feeling about leaving for a couple months?" Kiba's question caught her off-guard, and she stumbled a bit. She reached out to catch herself and felt a splinter dig into her palm as she pushed off the tree trunk and kept moving. She absent-mindedly pulled it out with her long fingernails before answering his question.

"Well, I think it's much easier because I'm not with my family anymore. They are so expectant and cold, so it was hard to focus on a mission when I always wondered how much happier Father would be as soon as I left. I'm glad you helped me move out." She remembered all too well how panicked she had been when the time had finally come- she'd been shaking too hard to carrying anything out of the house, but he had looked her in the eye and told her firmly to calm down. Neji had approved of her departure, but had been mainly focused on keeping it a secret until she was far enough away. But Kiba had stayed with her, supporting her every second until it was all done. He'd been the steady one, the example of how she'd needed to act, and in all honesty, it was most likely thanks to Kiba that she was no longer under the harmful oppressive influence of her clan. "Is it hard leaving your family?" she asked, trying to diffuse some of the sudden tension she felt. Kiba shrugged, biting his lip with a sharp canine tooth.

"Not really. The only thing that's not so great is that Akamaru's too conspicuous to come on this mission. They know I'll come back safe. I mean, we're the Inuzukas. Our family motto is that like the hounds we raise, we will always come home. So they know I'm fine, and that's really all there is to it." She nodded, thinking back wistfully to the first time she'd been to the Inuzuka house. His older sister Hana had taught her how to care for a newborn pup, and his mother had cooked them all a dinner of roast beef, then left them alone. She'd been shocked at the constant bickering, and had shrieked aloud when Kiba suddenly lunged across the table and tackled his sister in a full out brawl in response to something she'd said. It was a crazy, loud household, far different than the Hyuuga compound, and she'd loved every second of it. She let her light eyes wash over the ninja at her side, taking in his athletic form, his brutal grace. The shadows of the setting sun were enough to throw his features into darkness, but she knew that if she could see him, he'd have that smile on his face, the one he always wore. He was tough and bold, but she'd seen for herself just how much he cared for his friends. And now, he'd be watching out for her, making sure that no one hurt her. She sighed quietly, dreading the mission- the last thing she wanted was for Kiba to see her as a courtesan and think badly of her- she didn't know what she'd do if he no longer respected her, cared for her. But this job was awful and hideous, and how could he respect her if she could not respect herself after this? Her dark musings were interrupted by a sudden breeze of wind- it chilled her and she shivered, looking around as she slowed her fast paced leaps.

"We'd better make camp," she murmured, and he agreed, searching the woods for a second before pointing to his left. Her Byakugan flamed and she spotted a small river and a clearing just beyond the line of trees. "Yes, I see it." They jumped down and unpacked their lightweight tent, shaking out the thin bedrolls and blankets, searching for food to prolong their supplies. It was another half hour before everything was set up and they were fed, and Kiba stood up, dousing the small fire.

"Time for bed," he said promptly, and she watched curiously as he unzipped his large grey jacket and stripped off his mesh shirt, discarding his weapons and packs until he was dressed in just a pair of sagging faded pants. She blushed as he looked at her in the darkness, waiting for her to get into the tent. She'd forgotten all about sharing a tent. Usually it was her and Kurenai in one, and the boys in the other- yet it really didn't make sense to be picky about this. "Come on, Hinata, you'll be safe with me. I promise I won't do anything."

Years of friendship had her nodding and walking towards him- she trusted him, and knew that he respected her enough (at the moment) to not pressure her into anything. He was _Kiba, _for goodness sake. She'd known him forever; it made no sense to get jittery around him now that she knew he loved her. Right? She pushed aside the thin, waxy fabric of the tent's opening and slipped her shoes off outside the entrance. Once she was inside, she felt around for her bedroll, then stripped her sheets down and pulled her jacket over her head. She untied her headband as she listened to Kiba come in, and then laid down quickly, pulling the blanket over her body as she saw his silhouette getting adjusted. His long arms bent gracefully in the backlight of the night, and she listened to the peaceful sound of his breathing. "Good night, Kiba-kun," she murmured, and he rolled over to face her.

"Good night, Hinata-chan. Sweet dreams." He brushed a strand of hair from in front of her eyes, then closed his eyes. Shock coursed through her body, but she forced herself to keep quiet and instead rolled over and lulled herself to sleep by the sound of his breath.

Fire, white hot and deadly. Flames shot out in front of her view, and she shrieked and ducked. _No, no, no, please not this!_ Her mind screamed at her to run. She turned and saw blood, so much blood, flowing freely from Ino's limp body. Choji was at her side, his neck bent at an impossible angle as he gurgled and vomited blood. She screamed, looking up into the sky and watching ashes and red sticky liquid rain down. _Konoha is burning._ Help. Get help now. Run, run fast as you can, but you will not escape, you will burn, _burn, BURN-_

"No!" she whimpered, and jolted awake, blinded by the sudden darkness. Just seconds ago, everything had been bright and sharp, and now the heat was hiding in the murky shadows of night. But no… no, it was just a dream. An awful nightmare. Hinata sighed and let her body relax, her bedroll unusually warm beneath her cheek. Come to think of it, it was smooth and soft, too. Something brushed along her spine, sending shivers through her body, and she realized all at once that she was sleeping on Kiba's chest, and that his rough fingers were grazing her back, trying to sooth her.

"Shh, Hinata. Don't cry, it was just a dream." His voice was hoarse and comforting in the unfamiliar situation, but she pushed herself off of him, trembling as she searched for her jacket and scrambled through the tent's opening. The cold air was like a slap to the face, and she shuddered violently, pulling her jacket over her shoulders as she stalked towards the river. His voice echoed from behind her and she huffed out a conflicted breath, ignoring him and pushing her body to go faster.

_Why did I do that? Why was I sleeping on Kiba? What if he thinks that it means- no, I can't think of that. He was worried, I could tell, but I don't want him to comfort me. I don't want to feel that, because it felt…good. _She groaned aloud, and dug her nails into her arms.

"Hinata? I promise that nothing happened- I woke up and you were sleeping on me, but I didn't touch you until you started shaking and crying- I was just trying to wake you up. I'm so sorry." She turned and watched as he came up behind her, his eyes plaintive and concerned. She needed to be stronger- she hated seeing him like that, she didn't want to lead him on. He'd enjoyed holding her, she could tell, and there was something that had felt so right about being cradled in his arms. But she loved Naruto. Guilt pooled in her stomach and she stepped towards him pleadingly.

"No, Kiba, I'm not mad or anything- I just- I want to be strong. I don't want you to worry about me. Tonight you were just trying to help me, but… I want to be someone who can stand on my own two feet. All the scars you showed me were my fault. I want to be good enough to make sure that you never get another scar because of me." She searched him for a reaction, but he stood there silently, staring at the ground in front of him. He didn't seem upset, just tired. She sighed and walked past him, back to the tent.

"Hinata, when will you realize that you will always be good enough?" His voice carried slightly on the wind, but she pretended not to hear and went back to bed, crying silently until he came in a little while later. Then, she made her body relax, and hoped that he'd believe she'd been asleep.

**What did you think about the ending? Oh, and here's a quick question for you- how do you think Shino will react to Kiba's being in love with Hinata? Let me know! OH! And if you're more of a NaruHina person, check out my one shot, Naruto and Hinata Hot. Bye! REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the wait, guys, I'll try to be quicker- hopefully you'll appreciate the length! Enjoy.**

The next morning dawned cold and bright, and the sunlight filtering through the trees gave no warmth. They had started walking early, and the town of Kyashu rose into view before them. Hinata felt dread saturating her body as if it was a sponge dipped in water, and Kiba was strangely silent at her side. She'd already changed into her civilian clothing- a simple yukata style kimono. It was traditional and light, and her long hair was pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck. Kiba had used a chakra-infused cream to hide his red fang-shaped birthmarks, and he would release the jutsu that kept them hidden only when the mission was complete. She glanced over at him, still not accustomed to the blank face, and found him staring at her.

"Sorry," she apologized quickly, and he started. "For staring," she clarified, and he smiled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Don't be, I know I look weird. I was looking at you too- you're really pretty, Hinata-chan." She blushed furiously, making him chuckle as he went on, "I think that when you're dressed as a ninja, you look like a ninja, but seeing you in your robe is like seeing a hundred different girls at once. You could be Hinata, or you could be the pretty girl on the corner, or the one who I met once in the flower shop, or the restaurant's waitress. It's… unfamiliar."

"I think you're giving me too much credit, Kiba-kun, I'm not very good at disguises." He stopped in the road and glanced at her appraisingly.

"That's not what I meant, that you were deliberately trying to mislead me. You just look like a girl who could be whoever she wanted to be." She had no idea what to think of this, so she bowed her head and didn't respond. The ground was rough, uneven, and she concentrated for a little while on stepping carefully around muddy spots. Then, she felt Kiba's large hand once more on the small of her back, just as it had been in Tsunade's office. "Don't worry, Hinata." His voice was low and husky, and she gasped, coming to a complete standstill as she felt him stop right behind her. "Whatever happens, whoever you become and whatever you look like or seem like, I will always find you. I will always be there to tear off your disguise and make you remember who you are, and that's that."

The moment froze around them, and all at once, she could feel every inch of her body, could feel the connection between her and Kiba, and a startling insight took her mind away from her. She could see his heart, and she found a deep sense of yearning tucked inside his jaw, like hard candy. Even without her Byakugan activated, everything inside her told her that no one had ever cared about her like this, as passionately, as whole-heartedly. His soul was laid out for her to peruse, and something wrenched at her own center, pulling her back and out of the eternal moment. She let her breath out shakily and turned around, staring up at Kiba. He was unapologetic and focused, and his mouth was strapped down into a hard line. They were so close that she could feel the tension rolling off his body, and she briefly noticed that the hand on her back was starting to tighten, to pull her towards him- but then, he stepped away, sighing and dropping his hand.

"I forgot- sorry, Hinata. That won't happen again." Kiba looked away from her and his figure relaxed. "We're almost there, so I'm going to leave you now and talk to the mistress of the teahouse near your new… living quarters. I'll see if I can get a job. No matter what, meet me tonight around two in the morning- we'll rendezvous at the highest point in the city." She felt a twinge of confusion- the topic had changed so quickly- but she nodded and bit her lip, nervous all over again at being left by her one last link to the Hidden Leaf. She felt his arms wrap around her and he held her for a moment, then he abruptly turned around and loped off into the last line of trees before the open road.

She stood indecisively for a moment, and then turned towards the way he'd gone and formed the hand signs to concentrate her chakra in her eyes. The whispered word of 'Byakugan!" echoed around her intimately, and she searched the woods for his trail- it wasn't hard to find. She watched in shame as he turned towards a tree and punched it forcefully, disrupting the chakra flow to his wrist and palm and making her gasp with shock. She shook free of the vision and stepped back, almost tripping over her robe. It was dark blue and simple, and the white tie around her waist was tied in a sloppy bow in the back, looking nothing like the picture of the obi she had brought with her as a reference. The directions had been confusing though, and she was sure that she'd done it wrong. Tsunade had given her one package that couldn't be opened until she got to the okiya, or geisha house, and she suspected it to be a kimono by the size and weight.

She carried everything in a pack slung over her shoulder, and it took her another half hour to summon the courage to enter the town of Kyashu. It didn't have a huge wall and gate like Konoha, but instead, the small town was bordered by a fence made of long, bent dark sticks- it was somewhat barbaric, but in a beautiful, untamed way.

"Excuse me, can you please direct me to the Nibu okiya?" she asked an older man when she was through the gates. He looked surprised and glanced her over, his eyes lingering especially on her lips and neck. He smiled, not altogether pleasantly.

"I can, my little bird, but what will you do once you get there? Such an innocent girl should stick with a man for a little while until she knows her way around!" His voice was joking, but she stepped away minimally before remembering Kurenai's advice- show no fear and do not be intimidated, use humor.

"What I do there is hard to say, because I have not yet made it there." To her relief, the man laughed and agreed to take her to the okiya. She followed him silently down a narrow cobblestone street, looking up at the crowded, two-story buildings. They were traditional and charming. The man took her past a bath house and two tea houses, as well as a variety of shops. There were people everywhere; regular men and women dressed in simple yukata and kimono, and little girls darted between people and bowed low to geisha whenever their paths crossed. The apprentice geisha, or maiko, were the most elaborately dressed, and some even wore the chalk-white make-up and painted on red lips of a full geisha.

They were lovely creatures, and Hinata blushed and avoided their eye contact- she was mildly disgusted with herself for thinking of them as gorgeous when she knew that in a matter of weeks, she would look exactly like them, and she too would sell herself- if the mission required it. The man pulled her towards a large, dark-wooded building, and stepped onto the porch. He rapped smartly on the paper screen, and it was slid open immediately by a girl younger than Hinata. They exchanged a few words and she called someone as he came down the steps to meet her once more.

"This has been a pleasure. Maybe when you find out what you are to be doing here, you can come along and tell me. I'm sure it would be worth the trip to see what you learn." Her jaw dropped and she stuttered wildly for a moment, but he brushed her off and laughed again. He turned at the gate and waved to her. "Until next time, little bird!"

"Little bird?" A high, commanding voice came from behind her, and she whirled around to see a thin, tall woman gazing at her from behind the paper screen. She came out onto the front steps, holding an ink pen in her hands and peering out at Hinata. "Why does he call you little bird?"

"Oh- I- I don't really know… I-I'm Hinata Hyuuga, I was sent here by-"

"Yes, child, I know very well where you're from and why Tsunade sent you. Come inside, and for Kami's sake, don't open your mouth again, anyone could be listening." The woman turned around and beckoned carelessly over her shoulder, and the young girl at the door gently led Hinata inside. There was a narrow raised walkway of hardwood cherry planks, which continued to the right and led the way out of the courtyard and into the okiya. Straight ahead was a small, ornate garden, with a pond and a miniature temple in an alcove in the corner. She glanced to the left and saw what looked to be a storehouse. The girl pulled her silently to the right, shoving open another paper door and waiting for the mistress of the okiya to enter first, then following behind with Hinata.

"Keep your voice down and pay attention," the woman said, and she nodded, flushing slightly. "My name is Yaiba Niba, but you will call me Mother. I run this okiya, and I was a close friend of Tsunade herself when she had a mission similar to this. I am the only one who knows of your involvement, and of your partner. I have arranged for him to get a job with the Ikarashi teahouse, which is where you will be entertaining most nights." Mother turned down a hall and went up a long flight of stairs, batting the small girl away and taking Hinata up herself. They wound up in a small office, and she turned the kunoichi around, surveying her.

"I will have to teach you how to be a geisha in days, when it is a process usually taking years. Tell me, what do you know of dancing?" Hinata stared at the ground for a moment, then raised her head and shrugged, half-afraid of the woman's reaction. She just looked at her speculatively again, and then shoved two fans into her hands. "These are used as weapons by ninja, no? Well, this is similar, for the fans are an extension of your arms and you use them to conquer a dance, a man, and in your case… years of timidity." Hinata gazed at the heavy fans, and then looked up blankly, unsure of what to do. "Well, start dancing."

Kurenai had taught her one dance during their time at the spa all those years ago, and she tried to remember how it went, her mind flashing wildly through her memories. She bent her body and twisted up, hoping that Mother wouldn't see her trembling. She went through the motions and stopped, standing and feeling very much out of place. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I don't know how to dance."

"True," mused Mother, and then she took the fans and instead made Hinata sit, bow and rise in her kimono, which she did easily- she had to wear one sometimes for important ceremonies in the Hyuuga clan, and she'd been disciplined before for not moving the proper way. Finally, she instructed her to perform a tea ceremony- something she was relieved to know about, having done it multiple times for her father. Mother watched as she poured tea and bowed, waiting for judgment.

"Your skills need to be honed, but the basis is there. Stand up." Once she was fully upright, Mother narrowed her eyes and walked forward, taking her hair down roughly. She gasped, her entire body tensing, but the woman wasn't done yet. She grabbed the obi around Hinata's waist and tugged, unraveling the knot and dropping it on the ground. Hinata stood still as a rock as she pushed the yukata off her shoulders and let it fall to the ground, revealing her undergarments. "Undress." Hinata stared in shock, but Mother only glared and slapped her on her shoulder. "Now." She did as she was asked; shaking so badly that she couldn't feel her fingers, and biting back tears of humiliation. This was worse than when Tsunade had asked if she was a virgin.

She tried to cover herself, but Mother pried her arms apart and stared, turning her around and inspecting her back, legs, and arms. "Let's see… you have a good form, very dainty, and you're petite enough… we need to get you bathed, of course, and wash your hair-hmm." She stopped circling her, and instead picked up her arm, pointing to a bruise and asking how she'd received it.

"I don't know, I bruise easily, can I please dress?" Mother laughed at her mockingly and continued her examination, but Hinata stepped away. "Please," she begged, and the older woman stopped and sighed.

"Hinata, you will be stared at and examined far more closely than this, and by far more invasive means. Stop complaining." She opened her mouth, and then her eyes fell on a large, thin white scar across Hinata's left leg. "What happened there?" she asked, and then sighed, clenching her fists. "I see we're going to have to remove those scars, I can see more on your back and- never mind, we'll get them fixed. Ebitsu!" she called, and a little girl rushed in, bowing haphazardly. "Dress this woman and take her to Mamekida, she needs the full treatment," she ordered, and then smiled sardonically at the kunoichi, "Goodbye, little bird." Mother waved her hand and exited the room, leaving Hinata shivering and uncertain.

Ebitsu bowed again and ran out, coming back quickly with a package in her arms. "Auntie, can you please help?" An older woman with glasses came in and introduced herself as Yaiba's older sister, which meant her mentor, in the world of geisha. "Apprentice geisha usually are taken on my older geisha, and they become sisters. The older sister is responsible for her younger sister ever since then, and they are bound for life. You will have an older sister, too- Mother has just gone to talk with someone about it." They dressed her quickly in a yukata, and Hinata flushed as they tied her obi much better than she had.

At the bath house, the little girl helped her undress and bathed her quickly, using strange oils. She called a man in when Hinata had put a towel over herself, and the man lathered his hands with a bitter smelling soap and washed her hair, scrubbing her scalp vigorously until she cried out. What he did next was very strange- he got a pot of hot wax and combed it through her hair, but she gritted her teeth and dealt with the pain. She focused on her hands as he styled her hair into an ornate bun, and when he was finally done she bowed to him and thanked him.

The next stop was at a doctor's house, and she stepped inside hesitantly, overcome by the bitter scent of medicine and sterilizer. Ebitsu bowed and told a woman that she'd need her scars removed, and the woman smiled and introduced herself as Miss Reyoshu.

Ebitsu waited outside while the kunoichi was led into a back room and stripped of her clothing. "Where did those scars come from?" Reyoshu asked, and her cheeks heated.

"Well, when I was a very young girl, I was clumsy and I had a lot of accidents." Reyoshu seemed to believe this and got out various instruments. Hinata swallowed and reminded herself to stay calm. The doctor looked at her arm, and she saw the little scar there. _That is from when I saved Kiba, Naruto and Shino from those bug ninja,_ she remembered, and felt a little jolt of pride in her stomach- she'd shown Naruto how capable she was. That had been her first scar from protecting others. She panicked for a moment as the woman rubbed a deep yellow liquid on it, and she wrinkled her nose at the smell. The stuff made her arm tingle, and she couldn't watch as Reyoshu buffed the mark away. She felt a strange sense of loss for a reason she couldn't put a finger on- it was almost as if a part of her past had been taken from her. She stared motionlessly at the floor as the woman moved to her back- there was a scar from a training accident with Shino, and a small burn from a time when Kiba's protection hadn't come fast enough. Those memories were stolen from her as well, and she bit her lip, willing her mind to go blank.

_B-rank mission with Kurenai and Kiba, shuriken to the right shoulder blade._ Gone. _First training session with Asuma before he died, Shikamaru had thrown me into a tree trunk, leaving a small patch of lighter skin on my lower back._ That too was stolen from her skin. _The scar on my wrist from the time I saved Kiba from the rogue ninja who used multiplying glass blades._ The tears spilled over her cheeks as the remains of her victories were taken, and she shut her white orbs tightly. A hand found its way to her shoulder, and she heard Reyoshu sigh.

"Sometimes it is hard to let go of things that represent your past, but it is necessary. I am sorry." She nodded and bowed, making her way back to the okiya with a sense of brokenness, of dread. Thankfully, Mother did not comment on her low spirits, and sent her up to bed instead.

The thin mattress was small and the blanket was threadbare, but it was nothing compared to the discomfort of the tall pillow she had to sleep on to preserve her hairstyle. Finally, sleep claimed her, and she slipped into dreams of better days, leaving her woes far behind her.

**Thanks for reading, please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it! It took me a little while, but I'm completely satisfied with it now. **

**Someone asked me in a review why Shino had been in her apartment during the second (or third, or something) chapter, and the answer is that he also got a summons from Tsunade, and was waiting for her so that they could go together. Sorry if it was unclear.**

**Enjoy!**

"Hinata… Hinata." She heard her name and opened her eyes slowly, wrenching her mind from the abyss of sleep and blinking at the sudden light of consciousness. The small room curved around her, then straightened back out as she shook her head to clear it and sat up carefully, shivering in her light silk robe. Years of being around Kiba and his specific chakra signature had her glancing towards the window to see his shadowy form crouching on the roof outside. She motioned for him to come in and stood up, watching as he swung himself into the room with graceful ease, landing on the balls of his feet with a satisfied smirk. His brown hair fell into his features and threw them into darkness, but she could still feel his eyes on her. He was motionless for a moment, just long enough to make her uneasy.

"Kiba-kun, what's wrong?" she whispered, and he shifted his weight onto his left leg and brushed his hair away from his face.

"Nothing," he stated simply, "you just look different." She flushed and turned away, lighting a lamp and carrying it to her small mirror. She sat down carefully and looked into the glass, seeing nothing but the mask of a geisha, seeing only shameful things. Her head lowered of its own accord and she bit her lip. She shouldn't feel so conflicted about this- it was a mission, and nothing more than that. She shouldn't care what Kiba thought about her, or if she was unrecognizable in her new skin. _Maybe he doesn't recognize you without your scars,_ she thought wildly, but heard him chuckle as he sat next to her, leaning his chin on his hand and looking at her still. "When you didn't show up at the tower at the height of the city, I got worried and came here. It's okay though, I'm sure your day wasn't too easy, and I don't blame you for forgetting." She sighed guiltily, having forgotten all about meeting him that night- was she really that bad of a ninja?

"You look sad," he muttered, and she froze. "Your hair is different, and you're not dressed in ninja clothes or anything like them, but the biggest change is that you look like you're in pain, and just… not happy at all." He paused, his voice incredulous but low, though she refused to look at him. It would be like acknowledging her weakness, admitting to the fact that she couldn't even see herself as a seductress.

"It's ridiculous that they expect people to do this," he said unexpectedly, and she finally looked up at him, her eyes wide. He looked angry, and went on earnestly, "Think about it, Hinata-chan, all you've known your entire life was the way of the Konoha ninja, and suddenly they're expecting you to be a Kyashu geisha. It's crazy!" She realized something suddenly, looking at him and not seeing the boy who loved her unexpectedly, but the friend she'd always been able to confide in. it was enormously relieving, and Hinata felt foolish for not remembering just how complex a human could be. He was still her most trusted friend, as well as a boy who loved her. _Maybe this means nothing has to change,_ she thought idly, and ignored the twinge of disappointment that came along with it.

"I feel like a genin again," she whispered, trying to make him understand. "Everything is so new and different, and I don't think I can do this." His eyes narrowed, but he leaned back and looked up through the window, into the expansive sky. She knew he was still listening, though she didn't quite know what to say. His relaxed posture reminded her of the night a few days ago, when this had started- it felt like years had passed since then.

"What specifically don't you think you can do?" he asked her abruptly, and she wiped tears from her eyes, somewhat impatiently. He wasn't supposed to ask for specifics, it was embarrassing. _But it's Kiba, he already knows all my weaknesses,_ she reasoned, and shook her head, frustrated.

"All of it! I can't dance, I'm not good at carrying on conversations, and I don't know what men like, or how to attract them, or anything! I'm useless!" She threw her hands down and went to continue, but found a large, rough hand covering her lips. When she looked up, her gaze confused and appalled, Kiba's eyes were restless and his usually smiling mouth was set into an angry line. She was almost afraid of him, for even though she knew he'd rather be scarred forever than hurt her, there was still an unrelenting hardness in his face that spoke of being completely fed up. She only had time to wonder if she'd finally pushed him too far away when he spoke. His voice whipped out, and the edges of his words were clipped and sharp.

"Don't," he growled, "don't ever call yourself useless again." She nodded frantically and expected him to move back, to relax, but instead, she caught a little glimmer of nervousness in his eyes. It was quickly shadowed by desire, but determination, and somehow, she knew what he was going to do before it happened. "And as for what men like, that's a simple one." His hand disappeared, but he leaned forward and pushed his lips against hers, holding the back of her head and kissing her forcefully. She gasped and jerked back, but he followed, and before she knew it, she closed her eyes and parted her lips softly, moving them against his, her mind going blissfully blank.

His skin was soft, but his movements were somewhat wild, animalistic, and she let her body relax, just to feel the surge of adrenaline from his kiss. His teeth grazed her bottom lip and she felt his tongue caress the area, making her push against him just a little harder. He jumped when she bit back lightly, when her long fingernails twisted through his hair and slithered down his back, and he smirked against her lips when his finger ran up the length of her neck and made her shiver.

Kiba felt excitement surge all the way up into his throat, as Hinata- _his_ Hinata, kissed him back, fulfilling his half-formed hope of this moment and breaking apart all her inhibitions. He pulled back a little, testing her, and she followed him this time. That gave him the ease of mind to relax, to cradle her gently and kiss her slowly, delicately. Their lips touched one last time time, and then he pulled away for good, coming back to the present. With it cam reality, and out of nowhere, his heart started thundering in his chest and his mind was screaming at him to leave before he did another stupid thing. Her eyes were wide open and shocked, and in less than a second, all the joy inside him faded and was replaced with worry. _What did you do?_ He thought, and felt her hands withdraw from his hair.

"I'm sorry." His voice was quiet and regretful, and he looked away from her, torn apart by his guilt and by the conflict visible on her features. "I never meant to make you do that." He stood up jerkily and lunged towards the window, away from her and the humiliation he'd caused her. _Stupid, you worthless mutt, _he shouted at himself, and felt the wood of the windowsill buckle beneath his fingers. The chakra inside him was flowing too quickly, too strongly- he needed to get out before he destroyed the entire okiya-

"Wait!" she gasped, and seized his leg as he moved away from her. He froze and looked down into her eyes, sickened by the shock in them. She tugged and he followed, releasing his chokehold on the frame of the window and slumping to the ground before her, avoiding her perceptive gaze. "Don't go. I mean, don't be sorry- um, well, you can i-if you want, but there's no reason… but the k-kiss wasn't nothing! Um, uh…" He listened to her stutter for another few seconds before holding his hand up and waiting for her words to fade into an uneasy silence.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Hinata-chan. I just was trying to show you that you're beautiful without trying, and that you don't have to worry about being seductive. Just relax and smile, be clever like you always are- it'll be enough." Her breath caught in her throat, but she refused to look away from him, refused to let go of the confusion swirling within her. She knew it would just fester and burn, consume her mind until all she could focus on was the memory of that kiss. And she couldn't afford that.

"Kiba, I… I liked it." The sincerity of her words was palpable, and he felt hope swoop into his chest before he could banish it. "It felt good, it felt right… but I don't think this is the best setting for it. I'm under cover as a g-geisha," she said, stumbling slightly over the word. "I can't let this happen… I can't deal with it." A tear slipped past her defenses and he automatically reached out and brushed it away, rough as ever in his movements but unexpectedly tender as well. He bit his lip as he did so, and she got the impression that he'd surprised himself.

"I get that," he said matter-of-factly, "and I know that as long as we're here, it's dangerous to be seen together. If people were to find out, it would be bad for business." She felt slightly sick at the double meaning behind his words, and jabbed him in the stomach, swiftly enough to hurt him but gentle enough to not affect his chakra flow. He just laughed grimly and brushed her cheek again, then stood up and looked away from her, calmer this time.

"I've gotten a job at the tea house down the street, I'll be the one who keeps track of who comes and goes, so I'll be on the inside track for information. Do you know when you'll start being around Lao Suji, the target?"

"Yes," she said quietly, "I'm making my debut at the Ikarashi teahouse in a week, and he was invited to the celebration. Mother says- oh, she's the mistress of the okiya- well, she says that he never misses a debut, and that he'll be seated at a place of honor during mine. If he takes a fancy to me, I'll be with him a lot, and he'll cover some of my living expenses and things." He nodded at the information, and then sighed wistfully.

"I miss Akamaru already," he muttered, "we love going on walks on nights like tonight." She got the impression he was trying to remind her of the Leaf Village, and felt a surge of gratitude. "And we'll be back there soon enough, Hinata-chan. Do you like sweet dumplings?" She laughed at the random question, not believing the innocent expression on his face.

"It's strange that you change the topic so often," she said, and he grinned guiltily. "I know you probably don't like talking about… my profession here, but you'll need to know the details. And if you're trying to distract me from the things I don't like, then that's not right- I should learn how to face my fears."

"We're ninja," he said casually, "You do that every day. Remember when you saved me from that one ninja who threw the glass? You were so scared at first, but you ended up saving us and walked away with the least injuries of all of us." He noticed that she was no longer looking at him, but was staring at the ground. Her fingers traced her wrist, and he watched as a tear dropped to the tatami mat beneath her. "What's wrong?" he asked, completely nonplussed.

"They erased my scars," she muttered, and showed him her bare arm. He knew her skin like his own, and his eyes searched for the marks he'd come to treasure, the proof of her achievements. They were gone. "I feel like they took them from me, and the memories along with it. I'll be the only one who can't boast of her scars, I know Ten Ten and Sakura and Ino all have countless injuries."

He smiled gently and pulled her close for a hug, ignoring the surprised squeak she emitted and bringing her hand to cover a shiny line on his arm, from a forgotten wound long ago. He was careful not to touch her extravagantly done hair, or to break her familiar, trusting grip on the back of his shirt. But he couldn't stop himself from tracing her ear with his nose, and kissing her temple as the last traces of her tears left her face. "Then you'll just have to borrow some of mine," he murmured, and closed his eyes in silent thanks as he felt her surrender.

**Hmm, do I sense an attraction there? Do you? Anyways, please review, and thanks for reading! I hope you liked it.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the wait, guys, I hope you enjoy this anyways! It's longer than I thought it was going to be but I'm still happy with it. **

She knew she was going to throw up, she could feel her stomach churning and adrenaline spiking through her system. Her chakra was whizzing by, and she fought to pull it back into check so as not to attract the attention of any possible ninja nearby. She clutched the heavy silk of her sleeves, biting her lip.

"Stop that!" Mother snapped, and slapped the side of her neck gently. She bowed her head silently, not trusting herself to speak. The older woman grabbed her chin lightly and made her purse her lips once more to reapply the bright red lip tint, brushing it on smoothly with a small brush. "You are ready, now put on your okobo and wait at the door." Hinata stood wordlessly and walked with quick, little steps to the entrance. Ebitsu the servant girl put her shoes in front of her, and Hinata carefully slipped on the tall, lacquered wooden platform sandals. She stood as carefully as a china doll as Mother hit two pieces of flint together, causing a shower of sparks to rain down on her back. Then, she looked to the left and saw her older sister, a geisha named Mashutori, waiting silently in the courtyard. Mashutori had been around her for five days, and already the woman had taught her everything she needed to know about being a geisha- whenever Mashutori showed her something and had her back turned, Hinata had used her Byakugan to break the dances and mannerisms down into something she could copy.

"Don't be nervous, Hinata-chan. Tonight is your last night as a girl, and your first night as a woman." Her mentor bowed slightly, and Hinata nodded.

"Thank you for everything that you have done, Sister." With those last words, she followed the older geisha through the streets of Kyashu, the night lamps flaring around her and the darkness of the sky bearing down upon her shoulders.

Kiba grimaced as another group of gentlemen came in, drunk and loud as ever. He could smell the stink of sake on them, and wrinkled his nose. A geisha came in with them, her ornate silver hair piled on top of her head and her eyes bleary with inebriation. She gave him all of the men's names and identified herself, then led them into a private room. The paper door slammed shut behind her, and he was once again lost in the muffled sounds coming from all the rooms.

He was still on edge from his brief encounter with a Hidden Mist ninja, one who hadn't recognized him but who had been responsible for kidnapping an ANBU member and holding her for ransom. So far, he'd been the only person Kiba had recognized. Still, the man had come in with a beautiful woman in a kimono, so his ignorance was easily explained.

He looked towards the door, half expecting to see Hinata emerging with a shy smile on her face, but the paper door remained closed, barring his vision from the courtyard beyond the teahouse. So far, his job at the teahouse was boring, the only perk being watching the geisha coming through the door. There were a couple women who reminded him of people knew- a strawberry haired geisha who was dragged screaming and kicking from the teahouse because a man slapped her, she reminded him automatically of Sakura. And every so often there was a vapid blonde who came along and suddenly, all he saw was Ino.

But strangely enough, he compared no one to Hinata. He could suddenly smell and see better as adrenaline kicked into his system, all at the thought of her. _You got it bad,_ he told himself, then grinned toothily. Kiba ran a hand through his hair and sat back, looking at the ground and remembering the night a week ago when he'd last seen Hinata. She'd looked so uncomfortable, sleeping on the thin mattress with a torture device supporting her head (he couldn't even consider it a pillow) in nothing but a light robe. Some people looked peaceful when they slept, like Shino and Kurenai-sensei, before Asuma had died. But not Hinata- she was a light sleeper, and every couple of minutes her position would change, and she'd clench her fists and release them, as if she was prepared for a fight even in slumber.

He remembered watching her writhe in her nightmare, when they'd slept in the same tent. She'd been clenching and unclenching her fists, until he'd brought her to his chest. Then, Hinata had relaxed her hands and wound them around his waist, clinging to his like a drowning woman clinging to driftwood.

"Excuse me?" The rough, gravelly voice startled him out of his reverie, and Kiba sat up straighter, looking into the face of the man addressing him. A shock went through his body as he recognized the man, and he panicked for a moment. _Where do I know him from? He's going to blow my cover!_ The man reached into the chest pocket of his business suit, and Kiba reached for the kunai under his chair, gritting his teeth and bracing himself.

A clink of metal barraged his sensitive ears, and he froze as a handful of coins clattered onto his desk. "Is this amount sufficient for a meal and some sake?" He looked into the man's impatient eyes, and the realization hit him- this man was Lao Suji. He'd recognized him from the pictures they'd been given, though the man had never seen him.

He'd almost revealed himself as a ninja, had almost ruined the entire mission. An eternity passed as he stared into Suji's cold black eyes, shocked at the near miss. But the moment broke and he leaned back, forcing himself to nod and push a list of meals over the counter. As the millionaire perused the menu, he studied the man, compared him to the information in the picture. Lao was tall and big with slicked back brown hair and dark, dark eyes. He looked cruel, and Kiba set his teeth on edge when he pictured Hinata- _his_ Hinata- around this guy.

"Enjoy your stay," he muttered, and Suji raised an eyebrow, then walked down the hallway and into the main chamber. Not even thirty seconds passed before the door to the courtyard opened again, and two beautiful women entered the welcoming hall.

Hinata took a deep breath as the door slid open to the Ikarashi teahouse. Her face felt heavy, but her body was light and full of butterflies. She raised her head and stared straight at the boy in the entrance, transfixed by his shocked gaze. _Kiba, _she realized, and a blush adorned her cheeks as she remembered the last time she'd seen him- she'd _kissed_ him, and yet the thought wasn't as strange as it once was.

She smiled gently and shuffled forward with small, measured steps, speaking as quietly as possible. "Hello. Hinata and Mashutori here for a… debut." He nodded and leaned towards her, sliding a small tablet towards her. She bent over it and activated her Byakugan, Suji's signature burned into her memory. She analyzed the handwriting, something she'd only learned to do a month ago, and straightened up, taking the pen Kiba handed her. She signed her name as neatly as she could, and brushed his hand when he took it back. The slight touch made him smile, a sharp tooth sticking out from behind his lips.

"Welcome. Your guests are in the second door on the left. Please tell me if there is anything you need." Kiba narrowed his eyes meaningfully, his brown eyes roving hungrily over her white painted face. She nodded and smiled to show that she understood, then gasped as Mashutori came forward and handed Kiba a few coins, bending towards him and pursing her lips.

"We will need some sake for the gentlemen," she whispered confidentially, and Kiba looked to Hinata. She felt dread bubbling in her stomach, and resisted the urge to take Kiba and run far away. _Naruto wouldn't do that,_ she told herself firmly, _he wouldn't let himself be scared._ She hesitated for a moment, realizing suddenly that she hadn't thought about the blonde ninja in the entire week since she'd kissed Kiba.

Trying to ignore the guilt, she nodded again to her comrade and he took the coins, promising to come in later with a few bottles of liquor. Mashutori thanked him and beckoned her forward, past Kiba's post. She turned back to catch one last glimpse of him, and the warning on his face was clear as crystal. _Be careful._

She waited for a maid to open the door and entered the room behind Mashutori, as was customary for a younger sister. She heard gasps and all chatter ceased, and she glanced up from underneath her eyelashes to see the men surrounding her. There was another geisha in the corner playing a shamisen, plucking the three strings softly and sliding her other fingers up and down the instrument. The geisha stopped and looked up at her, and Hinata felt a vague sense of déjà vu. But before she could act on it, the blonde girl smiled, stood up and left the room, carrying her shamisen in front of her.

"So, this is the newest geisha in Kyashu, no?" Hinata froze and looked straight into the face of the man opposite her. He was rising to his feet, and immediately she recognized him as Suji. He was intimidating and cool, and he walked to her, his eyes roving over her body. Then, the man addressed Mashutori. "She is a beauty, very delicate- like a little glass doll that would break if I touched her." The words sent a shiver down her spine, but she fought it.

Hinata took a deep breath and tilted her chin down, blushing and praying that she'd get this right. _It's just a mission, _she thought bracingly, then looked up into the eyes of her opponent and smiled. "Thank you for your kindness, sir- although I should assure you that though I look delicate, you can touch me without fear of me shattering." Then, she lifted her hand and trailed her fingers down the sleeve of his formal kimono, as gently as she could.

Lao Suji raised his eyebrows and put his hand over her own- she noticed distantly that it was cold like ice, and just as hard. "Sit by me," he ordered, and she looked over her shoulder at Mashutori as he led her to his seat. The older woman smiled and nodded slightly, and Hinata sat next to the older man, studying him out of the corner of her eye.

He was commanding and seemed to fill the room with his body and his voice. His hands were large and thick, and he kept clenching them into fists as he sat and talked to the other men. His laughter set her on edge, and she tried to catch the other geisha's eye, unsure as to what to do now that she was next to him.

"So, what is your name, my dear?" Suji asked, and she jumped, then started to respond. Mashutori cut her off, though, beginning the night with a story.

"Well that is an interesting tale, Mr. Suji," she purred, pouring the man next to her a cup of sake and smiling alluringly. "When this girl first came to Kyashu, she was lost and alone! She said, 'Can anybody help me?' and suddenly, a man appeared. He smiled at her and grabbed this little girl by the hand, noticing the fine bones beneath her pale, pale skin. And do you know what he called her?" Hinata remembered her fist day in Kyashu and lowered her eyes, smiling gently.

"He called me 'little bird', Suji-sama." Hinata said, and watched the man consider her thoughtfully.

"The name of this maiko is Kotori." Mashutori finished, "Because she still looks as fragile as a porcelain bird perched on a windowsill, and is as pure as a nightingale's song." The older geisha smiled at Hinata, raised a glass of sake, and toasted her. "To my little sister Kotori- may your song always be sweet."

Hinata sat silently as the men around her all raised their glasses and wet their lips, trying out her new name. Inside, she was panicking- she'd forgotten that her name would be taken from her, as well. She smiled as Lao Suji clamped his hand down on her shoulder, hoping he couldn't feel her muscles tensing underneath the layers of silk he touched.

"Is there something you need, Suji-sama?" she asked, her voice quiet and breathy. She hated how weak she sounded, but Suji smiled as if he enjoyed seeing her be so timid.

"As a matter of fact, I do need something, Kotori. Pour me a cup of sake." She nodded and reached for the small green bottle, then remembered something from her training the days before, and stopped. She carefully pulled her sleeve out of the way, flashing a bit of her wrist to view as the warm liquid filled the cup. When she looked back up at Suji she tried to compose her face into a slightly embarrassed expression, as though she wasn't used to showing her skin.

The look on his face was hungry, though not in the same way she'd seen Kiba look at her. The man in front of her looked intimidating and violent, like a caged beast, and she instinctively leaned back. His hand shot forward and caught her bare wrist, and he slowly raised her arm to his face, inhaling the scent of jasmine along her skin.

Mashutori stood and bowed. "Thank you, gentlemen, but Kotori and I have many other engagements tonight, and we must not keep any of them waiting." Hinata nodded and stood as well, bowing lower than her older sister and murmuring traditional words of thanks. Finally she was leaving. Relief covered her like a cloak, and as she turned around, she heard Suji call out to Mashutori.

"Make sure that Kotori comes and calls on me tomorrow afternoon. I want her to come to a party on my arm." Her sister bowed again at the command and withdrew from the room, even as Hinata's heart started pounding with a strange mixture of dread and relief. She walked down the hall quicker than usual, seeking Kiba's comforting smile, but her haste panicked him. He stood up as soon as he saw her, but she mouthed for him frantically to sit down. Mashutori came into the room and Kiba bowed hastily as if he'd meant to do that all along, then opened the door. Hinata let the older woman go first, then turned back to Kiba.

His mouth was suddenly right at her ear. "I'm coming to see you tonight. Push off of me and look disgusted, _now."_ She felt his grip tighten on her arm and shied away, gasping a little at the pressure. He stepped back, looking sheepish. "Sorry Miss, I didn't mean any disrespect." She huffed at him like she'd seen Ino do many times before and held her head high as Kurenai had shown her, striding away after Mashutori.

"What did that boy want?" The mentor asked suspiciously, and Hinata blushed.

"He was being… quite r-rude," she murmured, and Mashutori smirked.

"You are a beautiful young woman, Kotori. People like the vermin in that room will always want things from you when you are dressed in a kimono and white face paint. But it seems Suji-sama has taken a liking to you…" Her smirk disappeared, and the woman looked older, more anxious. "You cannot do anything to incite his jealousy now, Kotori. He is a very… possessive man."

Hinata lowered her head and said nothing, but her heart thumped sickeningly.

As soon as she was back within the walls of the okiya, Hinata bid her sister good night and rushed up to her room. Ebitsu and the obi-tier came into the chamber and undressed her, and she bit back a protest when they stripped her of everything. Once the kimono was tucked safely into a long wooden box, they left, and she put on her robe, anxious to cover every inch of her body. She sat down in front of the mirror, tension and emotions rolling off of her, and then looked deep into her own eyes.

The woman in the mirror was unrecognizable. She wore a painted face and her eyes were distant and cold. Every move she made was measured, and she smelled of jasmine and talc instead of the sweet scent of grass, and sweat- the woman in the mirror was Kotori.

She watched as Kotori bit her lip and began to cry, bringing her hands up to the mirror and trying to feel what was nothing but fragile glass.

Kiba chanced a glance into the common room, swinging down from the roof to catch a glimpse of an empty room. He nodded to himself; the okiya was empty and everyone was in bed. His feet made no noise as he snuck to Hinata's room, and as he neared her end of the hallway, the sound of her crying masked the shuffling sound of the paper door opening.

When he saw her, he wanted to break. She was slumped against the mirror, streaks of pale, natural skin showing through the white mask where her tears had slid down her face. Both her hands were flat against the glass surface, but her shoulders shook with the quiet sobs. He didn't say anything, just went to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She didn't even question his presence, just slipped into his embrace as though she'd been waiting for him. The fact that she didn't find his embrace strange or invasive was the best thing he could have asked for, and he stroked her back, feeling the delicate knobs of her spine through her thin robe. He let her cry for another minute, but she gradually composed herself, sitting up straight and avoiding the mirror with her clear gaze. He picked up a cloth on the ground and titled her chin towards him so that he could wipe off the make-up on her face, and she sat silently as her disguise came off. She turned around so that he could wipe off the white powder at the nape of her neck, and he let his fingers drift over her shoulders lovingly, exploring her trembling body and trying to find the source of her pain.

"I'm not Hinata anymore," she stated quietly, and his stomach dropped. He set the cloth down as she kept speaking, his throat growing tight with anger. "I'm Kotori now, they t-took away my name tonight, and now nobody here will ever know Hinata- just Kotori, and I h-hate it!" Her despair was so tangible, it hurt even him.

"That's not true," he hissed angrily, forcing her to turn around and look into his eyes. "Don't you remember what I told you before all this? No matter who you think you're becoming, I'll be here to take your disguise away and show you who you really are. You will never _ever_ be anyone but my Hinata, do you understand me?" She nodded, but her eyes were still guarded, still distant. He leaned forward and pulled her face to him, winding a hand around the back of her neck as he met her mouth with his own lips. He kissed her with every emotion inside him, all the frustration and the uncertainty, and she responded, feeding him fear and confusion. He pulled her lower lip between his and sucked lightly, then grazed it with his teeth, feeling her shudder.

He pulled away, seeing a furious blush adorning her cheeks and her chest rising and falling quickly with heavy breaths. Her eyes were clearer now, and he thanked Kami silently. "See? You know me, Hinata, and I know you better than you think. So forget everything else about you, because right now, that's all you need to know. Now tell me what happened in the room, I couldn't hear anything."

She flushed and leaned against him. "This sounds a little strange, but I have a… a d-date tomorrow." He smiled wistfully, batting down the jealousy and holding her closer. "Suji wants me to accompany him to a party… I'm told that I won't be in any danger, and I'll use the opportunity to watch him carefully."

"I think I should follow you," Kiba said, feeling the back of his neck heat up. "I'll stake out everyone else and you'll deal with Suji. I want you to be careful, though. He's not right, something about him is just bad."

She shivered and he instinctively put his chin on the top of her head and squeezed her to him. "I know," she whispered, and wrapped her arms around him. They stayed like that until morning, neither of them willing to move away from the other.

**Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the wait, here you go! Read and review :)**

"Kotori!" she heard, and turned, a small smile gracing her lips. Suji came towards her, leading a small man by the elbow and walking briskly. She stood silent and waiting, calculating the expression on the man's face and noting anger and frustration adorning Suji's features.

"Yes, Suji-sama? Did you need something?" He stopped in front of her, and she folded her hands in front of her obi and bowed slightly.

"This man is the reason we are here. His name is Ichiro Takaya, and he is trying to tell me that he has found the most beautiful geisha in Kyashu. We are here to prove him wrong, you see." Takaya bowed and smirked, then gazed her over.

"Such curious eyes," he said, and she flinched at the sound of his hoarse voice. "They remind me of clouds, floating in the sky." The shorter man laughed and gestured to the house they were standing outside of. "We must put the geisha side by side, to see which one is more beautiful." Hinata blushed, her mind immediately filling with voices telling her that in no way would she win the competition. But Suji was waiting for her to respond, and she inclined her head.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, sir- so how is your vision?" Takaya laughed and Suji smiled coldly, giving her an appraising nod as if to say that she'd done well. She sighed in relief and followed the men into a room with rice paper doors and richly furnished furniture. She kneeled on the ground as Suji told her to, and the men left the room as she waited for the other geisha to arrive. She heard low voices in the hall, and wondered if Kiba had truly followed her to this place. He had woke her up early in the morning to say goodbye, and not two minutes after he had gone out the window, Mother had come in to get her ready.

She was dressed in a beautiful kimono. The bottom was dark green, and showed a forest scene that reminded her heartbreakingly of Konoha, with birds soaring up into the center of the kimono. The pattern faded as it made the way up the silk, but got gradually darker at the shoulders until it was the richest shade of light blue, representing the sky. Her obi was bronze to match the threads which followed the birds' flight into her sleeves, and her hair had been freshly washed and done up in an elaborate knot.

There was a shuffling sound, and her attention went to the door to the hallway. It was slid open by a maid, and another girl walked in, her head bowed and her hands folded. When she looked up, her blonde hair rippled to her shoulders and swung out of her blue eyes. Hinata gasped- it was the woman from the teahouse, the shamisen player. The girl looked equally surprised to see her, and walked forwards, grasping Hinata's hands.

Her palms were calloused and strong, like that of a ninja, and suddenly, the blue eyes and blonde hair looked startlingly familiar. "Temari?" she whispered, and the blood drained from the other girls' face. Immediately, one hand was clapped over her mouth, and the other was tucked inside her green obi. Temari's eyes darted around the room.

"Don't call me that- my name right now is Sutana. Hinata, how did you see through my disguise?" The hand left her mouth, and Hinata jumped back, feeling adrenaline race through her veins.

"I recognized you sort of last night, but I couldn't place you- you've put on an altering jutsu, haven't you?" Temari nodded and pulled a fan from her obi, one that disguised poisoned senbon needles inside the frames. Hinata activated her Byakugan, feeling a sense of relief at using her power again. She glanced around and saw no one nearby, but thought she detected a hint of Kiba's chakra somewhere above them. "We're clear," she stated, and Temari relaxed minimally, folding the fan and dropping to her knees.

"You and Kiba haven't been getting reports because this is a secret mission, right?" At Hinata's nervous nod, Temari sighed and went on, "Things in Konoha are worse than when you left. Shikamaru, he went out after you and Kiba left. He was just supposed to trail you until you arrived at the village, but one day about a week ago, his report was late and Tsunade sent Pakkun after him. They arrived where he'd last been, and found signs on a battle. Shika's blood… it was spattered across the scene, like he'd kept fighting even though he was injured." Hinata gasped, feeling dread pooling in her stomach.

"He's not…?" Temari shook her head, and her heart thumped wildly. "Thank Kami, I thought he died," she praised fervently. Temari remained silent, thinking. "Why are you here, Te- I mean, Sutana?"

The older girl sat back and sighed. "I want to know where my husband is. Someone took him, and I want him back- Tsunade was going to send out a search party, but since your mission is supposed to be covert, we don't want ninja crawling all over this land. I asked her if I could go, but she said no. I went to Kurenai, though- I think that she knows what I'm going through right now, what with how she lost Asuma and everything.

I asked her to help me, and she did- she did this weird jutsu, it was almost like a transformation but instead she just changed aspects of my appearance and used her chakra instead of mine. That way, I won't show up on any radar unless I use one of my wind jutsu. The problem is, she said it faded over time, and I really need to stay here until I can find out how to track Shikamaru." Temari finished her explanation, and then surprisingly, blushed.

"I can't believe how beautiful you look," she claimed unexpectedly, staring at Hinata with a critical eye, and the younger girl blushed, self-consciously gripping her obi. "Not to say that you're not pretty, it's just that- well, with the makeup, and the hair and everything, you just look all ethereal, other worldly. It's a good thing. Where can I get some of that make-up though? I don't have any. I mean, I went on a mission where I had to a geisha school and learn all about this one rogue-ninja's habits- she ran away to be a geisha, see?- and I learned all the dancing crap. But I stole this kimono and one other one, and I've just been telling Takaya that there was a fire in the store room where all my other kimono were kept."

Hinata raised her eyebrow, but Temari grimaced. "I didn't like having to steal, okay? If there was a way I could get things without having to take them, I would, but kimono cost way too much money and I don't have time. Besides, Takaya wants me with him every damn second."

Hinata gasped as an idea came to her. "You can come to my okiya! I'm sure Mother would be okay with it, and-" The door banged open, and Suji strode in, shouting over his shoulder at Takaya. Hinata flinched away from his anger, from his red face.

"Damn you, Takaya! If you cannot follow through on your promise to me, then we have nothing else to do here." He glanced down at her, and his eyes hardened. "Get up, Kotori- we are leaving this bastard and his filthy house behind, and never coming back!" Hinata looked at Temari, who was staring in shock, her muscles tensed for battle. Suji didn't wait for her to get up, he roughly grabbed her wrist and yanked her to her feet as she cried out. Pain shot through her arm, and Temari flicked her fan open, her mouth set in a grim line. Hinata shook her head frantically even as tears came to her eyes, even as she was shoved harshly out the door and into the garden. Suji followed her out, then turned around and said threateningly, "You will regret this mistake, Takaya- be very certain of that."

A rickshaw was waiting for them at the front gates, and he pulled her onto it, jerking her wrist. She whimpered, but he didn't seem to notice. Finally, she couldn't bear the pain. "Please, Suji-sama, my arm…" He looked down at her, then released her, nodding coldly and turning away from her. Panic rose in her throat, she couldn't lose his interest or she wouldn't get the information she needed. "Did I win the competition?" she asked, and he turned back to her, his brow furrowed in confusion. She pretended to pout, blushing. "I… oh, never mind. It is silly. I had hoped… but oh well."

He glared at her for a moment, then asked her what she was talking about. "Well, that man said Suji-sama was going to decide which of the two geisha were prettier, me or Sutana. I suppose you do not wish to tell me the results because I have lost!"

He sighed impatiently. "That is foolishness- you were clearly the more beautiful of the two, although we had for more important things to talk about- _damn_ that man!" He leaned towards her, clenching his fists, and she swallowed drily. "I do not like people who do not fulfill their promises. Takaya promised me a sum of money, and he did not supply it. This means that a project I am funding is now out of money- but I'll get it back." He grinned, and she shivered, horrified by the look in his eyes.

She managed to smile, and questioned delicately, "A project? Oh, Suji-sama, are you involved in a charity?" He chuckled, and she pretended to be offended. "I see that my suggestion is laughable to you! But all I want is to…" she hesitated, then placed a hand on his arm as gently as she dared, ignored the pain shooting up her wrist, "I want to know your deepest wishes and desires."

His eyes hardened, and she leaned towards him, fighting the instincts to jump from the rickshaw and run to a safe distance. "My deepest wish is to maintain my wealth, no matter how that happens. And my deepest desire…" His voice trailed off, and he traced the side of her face, watching the blush adorn her cheeks. "My deepest desire is to possess something that has, to my knowledge, not been possessed yet."

She nodded mutely, and his smile widened. "When we arrive back in Kyashu, I must talk with the leader of your okiya. Bring her out to me when you go in." She nodded in agreement, her head whirling, and for the rest of the ride, there was no more conversation between the two. Hinata watched the roads, searching for a sign that Kiba was anywhere near her, but she couldn't see him. She glanced down at the wrist Suji had grabbed in his rage, and was alarmed to see that it was swollen and red. She pulled the sleeve of the kimono down to cover it, biting her lip and remembering too late that it would smear her lipstick.

The rickshaw was pulled to the front gate of the okiya, and she got out slowly, carefully sweeping her kimono to the side and bowing low to Suji. He reminded her to get Mother, and she went into her new home, slipping her okobo sandals off with shaking fingers and finally crying out whenever her wrist moved. She bent down ad activated her Byakugan, seeing a hairline fracture in her wrist. Ebitsu came forward to help her into her room, and she sent the girl to go get Mother as soon as she was at the doorway to her quarters. Ebitsu ran off, and Hinata shoved the door open quietly and closed it behind her, collapsing onto her knees and cradling her arm to her chest.

"You look like you're having the same kind of day as me," she heard, and gasped, whirling around and spotting Kiba on the windowsill. The dog-nin was holding his side with one hand and grasping the windowsill with the other, and as she watched, he groaned and fell forward onto the floor with a thud. She shrieked quietly and moved towards him, glancing out the window to make sure that no one saw him and then helping him sit upright. As he pushed himself up, she noticed a red stain on the floor, and saw that his hand and side were dripping blood. She brought her hand to her mouth to stifle her cry, and he gritted his teeth. "Shh, Hinata-chan, it looks worse than it is."

"Hold on- I-I think I still have s-some healing salve in my bag, I'll get it- ow!" She dropped the small leather satchel and gripped her arm. "It's fractured," she murmured to herself, "quit using it." She picked the bag up gingerly with her other hand and rifled through it quickly until she came upon the little jar. Then she turned back to her comrade, biting her lip and setting it down.

He sighed when her deft hands began to pull his shirt up, her fingers skating across his skin, and then her hand was on his chest, pushing and telling him to lay back. He did, and concentrated on her little huffs of pain. "What did he do to you?" he asked, and his voice sounded angrier than he'd been in a while. The thought of a man like Suji hurting her… it was revolting. He was going to pay.

"It's nothing, Kiba- tell me what happened to you, is the mission endangered? This might hurt, by the way…" A burning sensation ripped across his skin, like it had not many nights before, and this time he bore the pain in silence. She apologized frantically, but he forced himself to smile.

"One of these days I might actually get used to that." He tried to sit up, but the hole in his side wasn't fully healed and the pain made lights go off behind his eyes. His thoughts drifted back to the day, and he told her what had happened. "I was on top of the house, trying to listen in on what Suji and the other dude were talking about. From what I heard, Suji's been contacted by Orochimaru and the snake bastard needs more supplies for this new experiment. He was supposed to get the money from the other dude, but he didn't have it. But here's the best part- Suji said he was going to meet up with one of Orochimaru's men to discuss funding in four days, and even though he didn't say where, that's a great bit of information."

"So you'll keep a watch on him wherever he goes on that day?" he asked, and he nodded, looking up hazily and seeing worry etched onto her delicate features.

"Don't worry, Hinata. I'll be fine."

"You still haven't told me how you got injured," she reminded him, and he laughed drily.

"Yeah, about that- I was on the roof listening to the conversation, but once Suji mentioned the meeting, a guard came up to make sure no one was on the roof- well, I was, and he noticed pretty damn quick. He sliced at me with his sword, and asked me what I was doing up there. I thought fast, and told him, 'I was trying to see the geisha, man, are they really that private?' and he obviously thought I was an idiot. He turned to leave after threatening me, and then I… I had to take him out. Afterwards, I transformed into him and told his comrades that I was feeling ill, and going home, so they won't look for a body for a while."

Hinata sighed and helped him up, cautiously hugging him around the waist. Her head fit perfectly into the groove of his neck, and she felt her body relax. "I'm scared," she admitted, and felt him kiss the top of her head. "I hate being around Suji, he's evil. Oh! Did you see Temari?" she asked him breathlessly, and proceeded to tell him about their encounter. When she finished, he looked worried.

"Shikamaru's missing? But he's pretty much the best ninja of Konoha when it comes to strategy. Someone would have to be extremely talented to get him." She shivered again, and he took hold of her injured arm carefully, thinking hard. "You know, my sister's a vet and she knows how to heal dog bones with chakra- maybe I could try?" Hinata sucked in a breath, looking hesitant, then smiled gently. She leaned forward and very tenderly kissed his cheek.

"I'll be fine, Kiba. I've had worse than this-" his jaw hardened but she ignored it- "and you don't need to worry, it will heal soon enough. But you need to go before anyone comes in, and I need to talk to Mother about Temari- please, will you come back tonight?" she requested as he stood and went to the window. He stopped, facing the world outside and not responding for the longest time. Then, he turned and smiled at her.

"I'll always be here when you go to sleep, Hinata-chan. Even if you can't see me or feel me, I'll be here."

**:) Review?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry about the wait, and about the length. I'll try to be better about updating, and I'm hoping you guys still like the story. Review!**

Temari wrinkled her nose as Hinata once more gasped in pain. Then, the older ninja grabbed the pack from her and hauled it over her own shoulder. "Hinata, quit trying to strain yourself. Take it easy and keep the weight off your wrist."

Hinata looked at her, uncertain. "In Konoha, a small thing like this happens every day. I don't see why I have to treat it differently now." Temari rolled her eyes.

"Maybe because you're not a ninja right now, Kotori!" she exclaimed as loud as she dared, and continued on that same breath, "You are a geisha. Normally, geisha don't get used to doing things with broken wrists. Also, you'd have gotten that fixed if you were a Konoha ninja, but since you're not right now, there isn't any way you can fix it. Just act the part!" She turned around and looked at Hinata, whose eyes were downcast and full of tears. The blonde sighed.

"Shit. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said all that, you're still a nin-"

"No, I'm n-not!" Hinata cried, clutching her hands to her chest. "You're right, I'm n-nothing but a failure- I'm not smart or pretty enough for- for a geisha, I'm just… I can't do this." She started to cry, and almost instantly, Mother poked her head up the staircase, where Temari and Hinata were moving the Suna ninja's belongings to the room across from Hinata's quarters.

"What's going on?" she demanded, and Hinata wiped her eyes, gritting her teeth against the sharp pain.

"Nothing, Mother. My wrist just hurts." Mother nodded, then retreated, and Temari touched her shoulder in apology. Hinata studied her hands, and noticed small silver scars running up and down the length of her arm. "Sutana, what are those scars from?" she asked, using Temari's other name and listening for Mother's breath, knowing she was listening from out of sight. She hadn't told Mother that the geisha she was bringing was from her former world, not willing to take any chances.

"I was once a geisha in the Land of Grass. I was…_ performing_ there once and accidentally knocked over a display of ninja artifacts. They cut me up pretty badly, but I took care of it. Now, all that remains of that encounter are these scars." The girl smiled darkly, and the double meaning became clear.

"I know a woman who is quite skilled with erasing marks like that. Maybe we should go see her?" Temari wrinkled her nose in distaste, but Hinata leaned close and breathed in her ear, "It looks suspicious," and finally she consented.

Hinata took her to Reyoshu, the doctor who had removed her scars. The woman bowed them in happily. "I have been hearing stories of your beauty, Hinata, and I commend you on your success. And you," she directed to Temari, "are exquisite. What can I help you with?"

Hinata stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Sutana had an unfortunate accident a while ago, and she has some scars she needs to have removed." Reyoshu nodded and beckoned for the blonde to sit down, but she instead backed up minimally.

"They're not that visible, though, right? I don't really see why I have to get rid of them." She looked slightly panicked, and Hinata tried to smile at her. The doctor looked at her appraisingly, then smiled gently.

"In your profession, it is unwise to appear as something you are not." Her words took them both by surprise, and she felt her neck stiffening as her Byakugan begged to be released, to judge Reyoshu's heart rate. But the woman looked innocent enough. "A geisha must not look like a common woman, and only common women wear imperfect skin."

Temari looked from her friend to the doctor, then sighed and pulled the strings of her kimono, baring her body. Hinata whipped around, blushing at her lack of modesty, and waited for Temari to sit down on the stool. "I'm turned around, Kotori, there isn't anything to see," she said impatiently, and Hinata nodded and faced them again. Reyoshu was already at work inspecting the ninja's skin, wiping a foul smelling substance over it and scrubbing away the flawed skin. "Wait!" Temari cried once, pulling away. She pulled her arm in close, running her thumb over a large scar on the inside of her upper arm. "Please don't take that one away."

Reyoshu frowned. "It is quite a large mark, ma'am, are you sure you can't part with it? Your customers may not feel as kind towards a flawed geisha." Temari stared at her wordlessly, and for a moment, Hinata almost thought she was going to attack the woman. But she just narrowed her eyes and looked to the side, extending her arm and letting the past be cleaned from her skin.

Reyoshu finished quickly and ended the visit by scrubbing Temari's hands, trying to soften them. Then, she bowed them out, watching the two women leave with a curious expression on her face. Once they were out of earshot, Temari sighed and let the tension leave her body. "I don't trust her," she muttered darkly, and Hinata shot a glance at her. "Just the way she worded things… it's like she knows who we are. I don't like it."

Hinata shrugged, not wanting to upset the older girl any further. "I think she's nice. She was just trying to help."

Temari sneered. "Yeah," she scoffed, "because I really needed to have some woman poking me and 'improving my skin'." Her voice was bitter and her eyes were narrowed, but there was an undertone in her words that instantly made Hinata ashamed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She knew how hard it was to have a past erased from your body. She knew how Temari must feel, looking down at her clean skin and wondering what had really been so permanent about her accomplishments.

Temari sighed and slid open the door to the okiya, Hinata not having noticed how close to home they were. "What's done is done, I guess. Don't worry about it." The heiress nodded in agreement and tried to forget everything that had happened. They walked up to their room in silence, and Hinata sat by the mirror, studying her kimono and wondering how many weapons she could fit inside it. There were deep pockets in the sleeves that she could utilize, and small things could be tucked into the obi for safekeeping. She was just about to ask if Temari still had left over kunai when two things happened simultaneously: the bell for the door was rung downstairs, and a huge form flew through the window and crouched onto the floor.

Temari sprung into action, rolling to her fan and flicking senbon from the frames, but the intruder dodged it and threw himself behind Hinata with a surprised, but muffled, shout. "Hey, it's only me!" The Suna nin straightened out of her feral crouch and stared wordlessly at Kiba.

"I could have killed you, idiot!" she hissed, but Kiba just held a finger to his lips, looked at Hinata and smiled, then flung his body behind the mirror stand. The door slid open and Mother stomped into the room, looking harried.

"Kotori, you have to hurry and get ready- Suji's here and demanding your presence, I told him you were ill but he won't go away. He looks angry- be careful." The woman rushed to the closet, her back turned to Kiba, and took a large flat box from a top shelf, laying it in front of Hinata and beckoning for her to stand. She got to her feet and stalked to the old woman, holding her arms out to be disrobed and redressed. She got her under-layers on and sat to do her make-up, but her hand was shaking.

"Here, let me help," Temari said, and sat in front of her, taking the make up away and swiping the brush into the white, clay-like mixture, painting on her mask. But her mouth was slightly open, and she kept closing it in a familiar pattern- the Konoha Code. _Why are you scared? _she tapped out, and Hinata rested her hand against the blonde's knee. _Suji is threatening. Don't like being around him._

Mother ushered the obi-tier in and then left to go tell Suji she'd be out soon. The tier took his time measuring the huge length of fabric, and every minute that passed she was more aware of just how much trouble would be caused if someone were to find Kiba. She didn't know how he'd chosen the worst moment to show up, but she was hyperaware of every move the tier made.

"Almost done," he muttered, then snapped his fingers. "I left the obi- ties behind the mirror- wait here, Kotori." She let out a muffled cry and stepped forward, constricted by the heavy fabric, but Temari was quicker. She let out an enormous wail and dropped to the ground, her face contorted into a grimace of pain. The man cried out in shock, then went to help Temari.

"My ankle," she gasped, "my ankle!" He fluttered above her, and Hinata saw Kiba peeking over the mirror. Her heart stopped, and she waved him along, trying to make him leave. He stood up and bounded to the window just as the obi man got up to get help. Within a millisecond, Temari pulled the man down, rolled on top of him and slid a knife out of her sleeve and into her waiting fingers.

"Don't move," she ordered, and Kiba took his chance, whipping himself out of sight and onto the roof. Hinata saw Temari glance at her and then at the cowering man beneath her, then she flipped the knife away from his neck and punched him in the jaw. His eyes rolled back, and his body jerked to a stop.

"Shit, shit, shit!" she muttered, then turned to Hinata. "I need you to hit me, and knock me out. Whoever took Shika away might take me to where he is- they won't know that I know him, everyone thinks I'm still exclusively in the Sand Village. I need to find him, and you need to keep your cover."

"Temari, I-"

"Do it now!" she yelled as footsteps thundered up the staircase. Hinata took a vase from the mirror stand, stood over Temari and brought it down on her head with a little scream of horror. The doors burst open and she gazed with stricken eyes at Suji and Mother.

Suji narrowed his eyes and glared at her, and for just a moment, she knew suddenly that everything had been ruined- he knew there was something going on, and she'd have to be much more careful from now on. "What," he asked quietly, rage simmering just under his voice, "is going on here, my… little bird?"

**How's Hinata going to get out of this one? Review and let me know how you like this, or I'll assume no one is waiting to find out and I'll put this story on the back burner. Review! Thanks.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Wow, 10 chapters already! I'm pretty proud of myself, and I hope you'll be happy with the quick update. Thanks for reading, and please review!**

Hinata froze, stricken with a wave of terror and desperately grasping at any idea that came her way. _Come on! Come on!_ Suji stepped closer, and she realized that she still held a shard of the broken vase in her hand. She gripped it tighter, and his eyes whipped down to her wrist as she cried out and grasped her now bleeding hand. "Ow!" she said, and Mother walked forward cautiously, looking from Hinata to the fallen blonde, who was slumped over the obi-tier.

Suji showed no reaction to her bleeding hand. "I asked you what the _hell is going on!" _he screamed, his face red. He walked towards her and made to grab her, but she let herself fall back, just now realizing that her obi had never been tied on properly. The sumptuous fabric of her kimono fanned out around her, and the embroidered cloth slipped from her shoulder. His gaze trailed over the expanse of bare skin, and then narrowed. For just a moment, she felt sheer horror at what his face revealed.

"Please, Suji-sama, I- well, I'm not quite sure what happened. I came into the room with Sutana, and a young man was here- I think he was waiting for her. But then the obi-tier came in and saw him, and she knocked him out… I wasn't thinking, I saw her pull out a knife and I just grabbed the vase… and- and…" She dropped her head into her hands and sobbed, forcing tears of fear from underneath her eyelids, waiting until they spilled down her cheeks before she dropped her hands, blushing.

"I'm sorry, Suji-sama. I have disgraced you." She surprised herself with the words, but he seemed to be pacified by it. His body relaxed, but he continued to stare down at Temari with contempt. Hinata started praying silently in her head, _please don't hurt her, please don't hurt her,_ but he still stalked over to her and pushed her body roughly off the obi-tier. The man began to groan weakly and move his arms, and Mother immediately helped him up and out of the room, shooting Hinata a look that clearly said, _I will cover for you, but later you'll tell me everything. _ She nodded as small as she could, and the woman left.

"Kotori." Suji ordered, and she turned back to him, trying to fold her kimono over her body and realizing too late that the blood on her hand was smeared all over the silk. "I am thankful that you are alright. Takaya was the master for this girl, wasn't he?" She nodded again, dread pooling in her stomach. "And she looks like a ninja… see the blade in her hand?" She pretended to look closer, trying desperately to see if Temari was seriously injured. "Then I'm beginning to suspect that… hmm."

He looked at her appraisingly, then smiled darkly. "It seems that Takaya is trying to overthrow me, Kotori. There is no doubt in my mind that he hired her to watch us, and that she befriended you so that you would tell her everything. As for the boy you say was here, I believe he might be an accomplice."

His eyes shone with a sick fervor, and he gazed down at her with a disturbing intensity. "But Kotori my dear, a geisha must keep her man's secrets. She must be smart enough to see through the foul people in this world." He traced her cheek tenderly, and left his fingers at her temple. Her heart was beating dangerously fast, and she felt the blood drain from her face. It was coming, but there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"And if she is not smart enough to keep the secrets, she must be punished." His hand curled into a fist and connected with her jaw, sending her crashing to the floor. She fought against her instincts, and tried to shield herself. His foot pounded into her stomach, and she screamed when he dragged her up by the hair to throw her against the mirror. She felt it splinter behind her back, felt the cool wood of the floor meet her cheek, and then she was sliding away to somewhere dark and peaceful, where someone who loved her was waiting with a smile and a hug.

She wasn't gone for long, but when Hinata opened her eyes, Suji was gone, and the scent of blood was strong in the air. She tried to sit up, but as she turned to look in the mirror, her head spun and she let out a little breath, clutching her side as fire spun through her ribs. She slumped back onto the ground, the kimono whispering around her. She'd only caught a glimpse of herself in the shattered glass, but she couldn't help but think about the smears of blood covering the beautiful cloth she had draped around her body, and the bruises forming on her skin.

_Ruined, _she thought to herself, _I'm ruined. Of no use to anyone._

Kiba crouched behind the building, watching as Lao Suji left the building with a servant behind him carrying Temari. He got into his carriage and motioned for the ninja to be put with him, and then he left, wiping something that looked horribly like blood off of his knuckles.

Kiba bit his lip, torn between checking on Hinata and going after the demon. But he needed to be sure that his guess was correct- he needed to know that he hadn't just wrecked Temari's cover for nothing. He never thought this would happen, and that could have killed them all. "Stupid, useless mutt," he berated himself, and stepped out of the shadows, following the carriage on foot, wandering aimlessly down the street and letting the vehicle disappear down the road. Then, he followed the scent of Temari and blood, followed it beyond the city limits and into the dark forest.

Hinata got up as the moon shone through her window with only one thing on her mind- Kiba. He'd come in for some reason earlier, but she hadn't had time to ask. And now, even as the lamps outside were lit, his figure didn't appear in the window, and she couldn't hear footsteps on the roof. She slipped the kimono from her aching shoulders, trembling as she reached for her night gown. As the cotton ghosted over her skin she sank down to her knees and watched the window.

What if he was dead, or captured? What if she was all alone now, with no one to help her? Everything had gotten so much harder, and the emotions tying her to Kiba were too strong to ignore. "Kami," she whimpered, "I should have never done this."

He jumped onto another tree branch and glanced below him, to where the carriage was carrying Suji and Temari over the bumps in the road. He'd had to stop himself from howling in rage when Temari had woken up only to be beaten into unconsciousness by Suji. But he'd stayed silent, monitored the blood trickling down the side of her face, and tried not to imagine Hinata broken and bleeding as well. Hate simmered in his blood, and he tasted metal on the back of his tongue.

Suddenly, the trees ended and he stopped, looking out into a familiar clearing. The last time he had seen Hinata, she'd asked him if he would come back before she went to sleep, and he'd told her he'd always be there.

He had lied. That night, he'd been on his way to the okiya when he saw Suji leaving a bar with a man who looked familiar. It hadn't taken him long to recognize Orochimaru's right hand man, Kabuto. He'd managed to contain his surprise and anger, and had trailed them through the streets, watching as the ninja handed Suji a strip of paper and disappeared into the night.

Then, he'd followed the millionaire out of town, and to this very clearing. In the middle of the meadow was a short building, the entrance to an underground maze. He saw the outline over Suji's shoulder, but hadn't copied it, and hadn't gone in after him. Kiba had checked around the clearing before hopping to ground level and investigating.

It was only when he was about to give up that he caught a familiar scent, and saw a flash of something deep blue in the dirt. He'd picked up Shikamaru's earring and pocketed it, leaving the woods before he got caught.

And now, he watched as Temari was taken down into the labyrinth, and hoped that the scent of the blood trickling from her head was strong enough to get him into the hellhole, and with a bit of luck, back out again. He gripped the rough bark and felt it crunch under his nails, then turned and pushed off from the tree, headed back to Kyashu. Lavender eyes filled his mind, and he strained his muscles, needing to get back and see her, hoping to Kami that she was alright. "Hold on for me, Hinata," he muttered, then pushed himself faster.

She heard footsteps on the roof and felt her entire body relax, and when Kiba swung through the window, it was all she could do to keep from crying out. He rushed to her and gathered her into his arms, and she just broke down and sobbed, past her breaking point and so tired of pretending. "Kiba, I need you," she whispered, and felt his lips ghosting across her skin. She raised her chin as his fingers skimmed the bruises on her face and neck, as he fingered the dried blood on her skin.

"I'll kill him," he growled, "I'll cut his head off and burn him for this." She gasped and he didn't waste any time, just pressed him mouth to hers, desiring the bliss and the comfort he always found in her. He wanted to be needed by her, and felt his Hinata come back to him, felt her pull away shyly when he bit her lip and smiling to himself when she pushed him gently, trying to get him to lean back and lie down. He accommodated her, and she rose over him, running her hands over his chest and peppering his neck with small kisses. He grasped her wrists as gently as he could and rolled over her, fitting into the curves of her body and exploring her tender skin with his lips, his teeth.

"Kiba," she gasped, blushing madly, and he looked up at her, his lips still hovering above the pulse in her neck. "I messed up." The confession was barely audible to her own ears, but he heard her perfectly.

"How so? I'm the one who burst in and ruined everything." She didn't meet his eyes, so he tilted her chin, forgetting that she was bruised. She whimpered and he released it like he'd been holding hot coals, sickened with himself. "Sorry."

"I knocked Temari out because she said I had to protect my cover, but the obi-tier saw you so I told them that you were meeting with her… but they know she's a ninja now, and when I woke up I couldn't see her. We need to find her! What if they killed her, or Shikamaru?"

He smiled grimly. "I'll tell you about that in a second, you don't need to worry about that. But I don't think I can come here anymore- if she was the one receiving guests, then it wouldn't make sense for me to come and see you. They'd figure it out if they caught us, especially…" he trailed off, looking at their intertwined bodies and smiling toothily, "if they saw us like this." She pouted for a moment as he rolled off of her, then wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest, remembering a time not too long ago where she'd woken up from a nightmare and been disturbed to find herself curled around him. Now, she couldn't wish for anything more.

But he still needed to explain how he knew Shikamaru and Temari were fine. She watched as he took a deep breath, and, running his fingers through her hair, began to outline the plan.

By the time he was finished, fear was staining her eyes and her lips were quivering. "Kiba, that's going to be dangerous."

He sighed and cradled her, kissing her hair and wishing there was another way. "I know, Hinata. That's why I'm going to tell you now- no matter what happens to me, I want you to keep going, to get home safe, and to remember that I will always, _always _love you."

She was silent for a moment, running through the possibilities in her head. "Oh, Kiba. I love you too. I always will."

He pulled away minimally and looked at her seriously. "Do you love me enough to leave me if I tell you to? Enough to let me go if you can't save both of us?" Her throat constricted and tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn't drop her gaze. She stared right into his steely eyes, knowing he wouldn't stop asking her until she promised.

"Yes. I swear," she whispered, and sealed it with a kiss.

**REVIEW PLEASE, or the gloves are coming off and I'll fight dirty. Wanna know how dirty I can be?**

**...**

_**Mud. **_**So is that dirty enough?**

**Sorry. I'm a little loopy right meow. Review though!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I promise I'm not dead or anything! So very sorry for the long period between this update and my last. I'm required by law to not say anything about what has kept me from this, but I just had some stuff going on with a certain someone, and things got a little out of hand. No, I didn't kill anyone, maim, fight, or otherwise hurt someone. Just throwing that out there. Again, sorry, and please review! I think you guys will like this chapter :)**

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She felt the rough fabric of her pillow beneath her cheek, and shivered as she became aware of her body. Everything hurt; her throat and her arms, especially her cut hand. She'd been beaten before, worse than this, but at the same time, she no longer felt as if she was the same person. She was a geisha. Courtesans weren't used to being pounded into the dirt. But no, she reminded herself, today was when the façade ended for a while- she could no longer afford to think like that.

Hinata sat up, and fought the bile coming up in her throat when her head spun. She limped into the hall and found a cloak hanging on her door, then quietly went down the steps to the main floor of the okiya. No one else was awake as far as she could tell, and she activated her Byakugan for a moment, just to make sure. Once she was assured of her privacy, the shinobi left the building, finding herself shivering at the cool mist on the main streets.

Kyashu was hauntingly beautiful in the early morning fog. The store fronts were muted and light only traveled so far- same with sound. She felt like she was the only one alive, and that the world was suddenly so much smaller. All she could hear was her breath and the uneven beats of her footsteps hitting the cobblestone streets. She passed a ramen shop and caught a slight whiff of stale broth before it was once again swallowed in the fog. The air grew warmer around her, and she instinctively turned towards the heat, knowing she was at the bathhouse. Orange light flowed from the lanterns to her face, welcoming her silently to the peaceful building.

She entered the main room and walked towards the woman behind the front desk, registering the horror on her face before it was carefully smoothed into a professional expression. The woman studiously ignored the bruises and cuts as she welcomed her to the bathhouse. "Kotori-san, we are honored by your patronage. Would you like a private room, or maybe a private session in one of the outside springs? They are… beneficial to your health, ma'am." She nodded and tried to smile, but felt her broken lip crack like a grape skin, and instead just raised her eyebrows in what she hoped was a friendly expression.

The lady got up and bowed to her before leading her through narrow halls and out into the misty morning. This time, they were surrounded by high walls and the air was warmer, steam rising off of the springs and mixing with the soupy fog. "Might I also suggest a tray of oils to help the healing?" the hostess asked quietly. Hinata looked up at her in surprise, but she wasn't meeting her eyes. "It looks as though you had a bad fall at a dance rehearsal. I hear you have one of the main roles in the upcoming Winter Festival."

It was an excuse, pure and simple, and she saw it as an olive branch. She nodded thankfully. "Yes, that's exactly what happened. That sounds very… relaxing. Will you please show me what to use?" The woman bowed and left, and Hinata stripped the cloak from her body, shivering in her light robe as she looked around. For the first time in a long time, she felt completely at peace, or maybe just too weary to be wary. Whatever it was, she accepted it and let it simmer within the ache of her body.

Before she could think anything further, the woman returned, wheeling out a dainty tray of small bottles. They clinked faintly as she picked each one up, asking Hinata to hold out her injured hand. The green bottle had a thick paste in it that smelled like a mix of lavender, mint and something nutty. It felt warm as she spread it across the deep cut she'd used as a distraction, and smoked slightly.

"This is for fast healing of cuts. Apply it and wait for it to crust over, then rinse the skin and apply it again until you're satisfied." She nodded and watched as the woman narrowed her eyes and searched her body, then pointed to Hinata's shoulder at a purple bruise. She picked up a jar of a sweet smelling salve and spread it over the mark, rubbing it in and smiling apologetically at Hinata's pained whimpers. "This is for deep bruises, just rub it in and it will ease the pain. I can give you some powder to disguise the marks." Even as she spoke, the ache disappeared from her skin.

"Thank you," Hinata said meaningfully, and the woman hesitated for a moment, then pulled her hair over her shoulder. Carved into the slope of her collarbone was a mottled, ugly scar, and recognition flashed through Hinata- she'd seen that scrawl before when Kiba had let her analyze Suji's signature. The woman had the word MINE embedded in her skin forever by the same man who had given her these injuries.

"We must stick together and help each other," she said quietly, then withdrew into the bathhouse, leaving her frozen outside the hot spring. Eventually she straightened up and began taking deep, long breaths. There was a reason she had come to the baths, and she wouldn't be deterred from her mission.

Hinata untied the sash around her waist and let it fly through her fingers and onto the moist ground. Her toes were tingling from the sensation of cold, so much that she felt as if her skin was being shocked continuously. The feeling was not altogether unpleasant. She opened the robe and let the silk slip from her delicate shoulders, falling in a pile around her feet. The cool air caressed her bare skin, licking its way up her belly and across her thighs. She was no longer shivering. Instead, she could feel her hands trembling in anticipation.

She stepped down into the pool of hot water, and felt the pain being swept away by the swirls of the liquid. It covered her to her neck and goose bumps rose on her skin. She groaned, and the let her hair out of its bun, combing through the strands with her fingers, feeling the remnants of the wax leaving her scalp. She could feel her skin breathing. Her hair became slick with wetness, and she reached for the tray of oils, uncapping a familiar one and sniffing at it. She could smell honey and lavender, and let some of it trickle onto her palm. Then, she rubbed it into her hair, every move a ritual. Next, she oiled her skin, rising out of the water and massaging her arms, wrists and stomach, paying close attention to the bruises. She healed some with her chakra, feeling the energy begin to flow again within her after months of keeping it hidden.

She could feel herself moving away from Kotori, husking her off like a shadow left on the ground as she rose into the clouds. She was Hinata Hyuuga, former heiress of the Hyuuga clan. She used the Gentle Fist style, and was a ninja of Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Her sensei had been Kurenai, her comrades were known as the Rookie Nine, and she would never lose herself to a mission.

Hinata opened her eyes, veins protruding from her temples as the Byakugan revealed her surroundings with near perfect clarity. The outline of the building was like the mist surrounding her, insubstantial and translucent. The image was forever ingrained into her mind, just as she'd planned. She giggled quietly and blushed, then leaned back until she was floating on her back in the water. She felt so young for the first time in a while. Her hair brushed against her back, and she reached back to wind it around her fingers.

"You're strong, Hinata," she murmured to herself, then closed her eyes and concentrated. Naruto had once walked in on her performing this jutsu, and she'd been ashamed and embarrassed. But things were different now. She'd grown up, become more comfortable with her body. She needed to know that she was still a shinobi, that all the bruises and cuts were for a purpose.

She stood in the water, and rasied her leg, sending chakra to the bottom of her foot and pushing herself up until she stood on top of the water. The exertion felt delightful. She was powerful and ready, and she whispered the name of her jutsu as she raised her arms.

"Protection of the Eight Trigrams… Sixty Four Palms!" she cried, and felt chakra erupt from the very center of her palms. She whipped her limbs around her body, twisting and feeling the water spin up to cocoon around her. She let out a breath, and opened her eyes, finding herself encased in a bubble of blinding, beautiful light. _You did it,_ she thought, then with a fierce cry, pushed the chakra away from her and let it explode into the atmosphere, careening out from around her. Triumph laced through her veins.

She sunk back into the water, finally feeling alive. Her bruises no longer hurt her, and the nagging voice in the back of her mind was silent.

She was ready, and she was going to do what she needed to.

* * *

Kiba watched from the roof across the street as Hinata re entered the okiya, her back ramrod straight and her cheeks flushed. He couldn't make out the bruises from the night before, or see any scabs forming on her hands, and silently congratulated her. She hesitated at the door, then went back out into the yard below her open window and threw her sandals into her room. She went into the house, and he checked the time- she had ten minutes before all hell broke loose, and she had to make it count.

* * *

Mother shoved open the rice paper door to her room just as Hinata went to knock on the wood frame. Her eyes were narrowed as she took in the girl's glowing form, and looked deep into her eyes. "Where did you go?" she asked, and Hinata shook her head.

"That isn't important- Mother, I don't have much time, and I need you to listen to me and do exactly as I say."

The old woman scoffed and began to turn away, but froze when she felt cold steel against the nape of her neck. Hinata held the kunai steady for a moment more, then lowered it, somewhat ashamed. "I will not harm you. I need you to listen, and to play along- they will kill you if you don't." The woman raised an eyebrow, then smiled wryly.

"Little Kotori has learned to fly, eh? Well then, tell me what to do."

Hinata sighed in relief, then flung the knife away from her and into a post. "In a few moments, Lao Suji will be at the door. I need you to tell him I am dressing, and that I will be ready to see him in five minutes. A man will attack the house. I need you to pretend to faint, if you can, or otherwise, run into the street. By the end of it, I will be gone, and you must discover a headband of a Leaf ninja- you know the symbol, right?" She nodded, and Hinata smiled, feeling the newly healed skin of her lip stretch. "It will be on the floor of my room. I want you to know that I'm safe, but there's a chance that… that I will not see you again."

Mother smiled, and inclined her head. "I am a lucky woman, to have seen such strength out of one who seemed so meek. Good luck to you, Hinata- I'll do as you say."

She bowed and thanked Mother for everything, then went upstairs, put on her sandals again, and sat in her sleeping shift, checking the time. Suji was supposed to come any moment now, and after that… she took a deep breath, calming the tremors running through her body.

* * *

Kiba watched as Suji walked up the road, alone and thunderous. His fingers twitched towards the holster which held his knives, but he resisted- he'd avenge Hinata and Temari soon enough. He sat up and made a hand sign, building his chakra, then released the jutsu on his face marks and felt a slight burn when they reappeared. His headband came out of his pocket and he tied it onto his forehead, and then he watched and waited. He saw Hinata come to the window, and she waved a small scrap of red fabric.

It was time.

He launched himself off of the roof, through the air, and into the window, hearing her scream convincingly as he tackled her. She rolled on top of him and latched onto his hitai-ate, pulling it off quickly. "Now, Kiba!" she whispered, and he handed her a shuriken, looking away as she screamed for help again and dug the metal into her flesh, pulling it out with a ripping sound and gasping, holding onto her arm as blood spurted sickeningly from the wound. He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and slammed a kunai knife through it, pinning it to the floor and picking the injured girl up in his arms. She closed her eyes and let her body go limp as if she was unconscious, and the door blasted open.

Suji saw Kiba standing at the window, his arms wrapped around Hinata, and roared in fury, running forward just as the dog-nin threw a kunai with a paper bomb attached into the side of the house as he jumped away from the window. The explosion knocked them backwards through the air, but he knew it wouldn't have hurt Suji too much- it was a distraction more than anything else.

He hit the ground running, holding Hinata close to his chest and feeling her blood trickling over his skin as well. Anxiety clawed at his throat, and within minutes he was lost in a crowd of people. He ignored the strange looks he was getting from the few people who actually saw him, then ducked into an alleyway. Moments later, he and Hinata left the side street. She was on her feet again, cloned to look like Ino as a disguise, and him as Shino. He laughed and joked with her, keeping his hood up until they were past the city limits. If they could escape that far, they were golden the rest of the way.

* * *

Her heart was pounding so hard that she could feel it hammering in her throat. She'd covered her amr with a little scrap of cloth from the alley, but the blood was beginning to seep through, staining Ino's arm a deep red. They walked past the final few houses, and onto the forest path. "Kiba, it's safe now," she murmured, scanning the area with her Byakugan. Then, they dropped their disguises, began to run again, and didn't stop until Kiba was leading her into the trees above the clearing where he'd seen Temari being taken.

* * *

She collapsed onto a tree branch high above the ground, panting slightly and looking more worried than he'd ever seen her look. "We did it, Hinata!" he muttered, and swept her up into his arms, nuzzling her neck as his heart threatened to burst out of his chest. The plan had worked so far- now it was up to Suji. He'd left a note and his head band, along with Hinata's blood. Suji would read the note- 'Exchange of geisha and Leaf Ninja at four o' clock next to bathhouse. If you do not comply, we kill her' and Mother would 'discover' the hitai-ate with the Konoha symbol on it. And Hinata had memorized the complicated floor-plan of the bathhouse, just in case something went wrong.

"So we're getting Shikamaru back, but what about Temari?" Hinata asked as she applied her healing salve to the deep wound she'd made on her arm. "When will we get her back?"

Kiba hesitated. "I don't know," he admitted, "but we'll figure something out. Me and Shikamaru, that is- you have to go back to Suji, but I swear to you, Hinata, I won't let him have you." She shuddered and snuggled into him, staying aware of her surroundings but never wanting to let him go. His fingers traced her skin and stroked her hair, and she let her own hands memorize his body, every muscle in his arm and plane of his face.

"Kiba," she murmured, "what if this doesn't work? What if he wants to keep Shikamaru more than he wants me back?"

Kiba pulled back at looked at the girl he loved, his eyes roving over her fearful expression and his heart tightening when he thought of letting her go. A part of him wished the plan wouldn't work, but it was all in vain- to him, Hinata was more important than the future of Konoha, than the entire world, but he still wasn't ready to have that on his conscience. Not to mention that she was exquisitely beautiful. Suji knew it, and he was the sick sort of bastard who just had to have her. It made Kiba want to kill him even more.

"Do you remember what I said when I first told you about this plan?" he asked her. "I said that it would work because Suji is the kind of man who hates having things taken from him. He is possessive, he thinks he owns you. He will never let you slip away from him." He felt her tremble, and recalled the story she'd told him about the bath house, about the woman Suji had defiled and used as a knife sharpener. He added the unnamed woman to his growing list of people to avenge with Suji's death.

"I won't let him hurt you," he whispered into her hair, and together they waited for life to catch up with them, for the web of lies to once again entangle them within its twisted strands.

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**Well, what did you guys think? Let me know in a review! **


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